(CNN) One of the longest sessions in the history of the British Parliament ended early Tuesday morning in extraordinary scenes, with protests from placard-waving lawmakers and attempts to prevent the Speaker of the House from leaving his chair.

Opposition members of the House of Commons were furious at the five-week prorogation of Parliament, which critics say is an attempt by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to silence debate on Brexit and allow the country to slide towards a no-deal split from the European Union.

The government insists prorogation -- or suspension --- is constitutional and entirely normal for a new administration. But that has not satisfied members of Parliament who have dealt Johnson six defeats in six days, blocking a no-deal Brexit and then rejecting a government motion for snap elections on Monday night, in what was the final vote of the parliamentary session.

I've only just learned that the prorogation of parliament gets its own fancy ceremony, and I can't believe this is the workings of our actual democracy and not your herby ex's deeply inaccessible performance art piece. Get a load of this total Brechtian nightmare. pic.twitter.com/Fqv1O7FInL — Fearghas Kelly (@FearghasKelly) September 9, 2019

The debates had already been raucous, but chaos really set in when Black Rod, a senior official in the upper chamber, the House of Lords, entered the House of Commons to request the presence of MPs for the prorogation ceremony.

The arrival of Black Rod -- Sarah Clarke, the first woman to hold the post -- was met with a wall of noise from lawmakers opposed to prorogation. A group of opposition MPs then advanced towards the Speaker's chair and a small scuffle broke out.

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