HUGE marches took place in cities across England this weekend to protest against the proroguing of Parliament.

Labour Party chair Ian Lavery MP addressed thousands of people at Grey’s Monument in Newcastle alongside North of Tyne Labour Mayor Jamie Driscoll and Labour frontbencher Laura Pidcock.

Mr Lavery received loud cheers for urging the crowd to “fight for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a socialist government,” saying: “This is not about Leave, it’s not about Remain.

“If we’re serious about getting a Labour government, we need unity.

“What really, really annoys me is that people suggest that Boris Johnson is one of the lads, that he’s looking out for working-class people — what a load of rubbish.

“Boris Johnson is a man who epitomises the elite and the wealthy. We’ve got to challenge him — we have a real fight on our hands.”

Meanwhile in Manchester around 6,000 people marched through the streets, joined by Green MEP Gina Dowding, Labour MEP Julie Ward, and the longstanding socialist journalist Hilary Wainwright.

Ms Ward urged protesters to remember the “sacrifices” of the 18 people who were killed by rampaging yeomanry in central Manchester at the Peterloo Massacre in August 1819, saying: “We should not be in this position.

“In this century, we should be thinking about extending rights, not taking them away.”

Leeds saw one of its largest protests since the Iraq war march, with approximately 6,000 demonstrators hearing from local Labour MPs, including Richard Burgon, shadow peace and disarmament minister Fabian Hamilton and Leeds North West MP Alex Sobel.

At one point a group broke away from the rally to temporarily occupy the Headrow, which is the city’s main thoroughfare.

In Northampton hundreds of both Leavers and Remainers demonstrated.

A young Romanian woman passing by was invited to speak to the crowd about the need to stop Mr Johnson “taking our democracy away.”

Morning Star columnist Peter Frost, who was present at the rally, told the Star: “It was a message with which Northampton and the whole nation could all agree.”

And with more protests planned for Tuesday, Peoples Assembly North East chair Tony Dowling commented: “The only way to end the Tory austerity nightmare is the election of an anti-austerity government committed to investing in hospitals, schools and housing, renationalising our public services and acting on behalf of the people, not Johnson’s pals in the banks and big business.”