Brian Haw anti-war hero (7th of January 1949 – 18th of June 2011)

On the 2nd of June 2001 Brian Haw walked into Parliament Square to protest. He was by no means the first person to do so, however what distinguished him from the previous protesters was that he stayed in Parliament Square for nearly ten years serving his country on his continuous peace campaign. Protesting until illness and death over took him. Brian Haw who had been receiving treatment for lung cancer for some months before he died in the early hours of 18 June 2011


Police officer: "How long will you be here for"
Brian Haw: "For as long as it takes"


"I am here because I love my country not because I hate it." Brian Haw to a member of the public who criticises him for being unpatriotic.


"Support our troops, bring them home" Brian Haw


"He was one of the bravest men I have ever met. In fact, the more I think of Brian, the more I cannot believe his bravery." Michael Culver






































































































































































































































































































The majority of Brian Haw’s amassed demonstration materials, placards and displays were removed and confiscated by the police in the early hours of 23 May 2006. Police were using the controversial ‘Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005’ SOCPA which introduced restrictions on protests in the vicinity of Parliament. The Act was passed by Parliament and given Royal Assent on the 7th April 2005.





































Brian Haw anti war hero





































Brian Haw long-term peace campaigner.



































































































































































































































































































































Brian Haw peace hero & friends














The website gallery is only a fraction of the Brian Haw story; however it touches on some special moments and aspects of this remarkable man and his heroic efforts to champion the peace message right opposite the Parliament of the period in many respects.



If any person that has created and donated placards or material to the Brian Haw demonstration that is shown in these images would like to be credited, please write to the editor on this website! Also, if any person that is shown in the images in this website exhibition would like to be acknowledged in the caption, please also write to the website editor? Finally if anybody believes any of the information to be incorrect please inform the website editor! Thanks, the editor







The Parliament Square peace camp started by Brian Haw, and other protesters, encampments around Parliament Square were removed by the Metropolitan Police for the Westminster Council, 20th of March 2013 on the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The protesters had won many legal battles but ultimately the High Court conceded to the Council's point of view to evict the permanent peace campaigners.

Actor Michael Culver said of the peace camp “a permanent anti-war site that provided a mirror that parliament was forced to look at”.

A campaign to erect a statue of Brian Haw next to Sir Winston Churchill started soon after his death. The proposed statue is supported by many eminent people including: Tony Benn, Vanessa Redgrave, Ken Loach, Mark Rylance, Elfyn Llwyd MP, John Pilger, Mark Thomas, Mike Hancock MP, Bruce Kent, Dennis Skinner MP, Simon Jenkins, Paul Flynn MP, Nicholas Kent, Noam Chomsky, Caroline Lucas MP, Sir Ian McKellen, and many more.

“Brian Haw was a one off” Michael Culver