UK News 16-09-2004 House of Commons Invasion Drama who: Bryan Ferry`s son, Otis what: Leads Countryside Alliance protestors onto floor of House where: House of Commons, LONDON when: Yesterday snippet: "Eight pro-fox hunting protesters are being questioned by police after five people breached House of Commons security and entered the chamber," reports Sky News on the furore surrounding yesterday`s free vote to ban hunting with dogs. "They have been arrested on suspicion of `uttering a forged instrument; burglary with intent to commit criminal damage and violent disorder`, Scotland Yard said." "Members of the Countryside Alliance, with clear inside knowledge of the layout of the Commons, stormed the floor of the chamber at 4.20pm yesterday," says The Guardian. "The intruders had evaded armed police outside parliament and footmen in tights by donning construction suits and using back stairs." The Sun says "the raid was led by rocker Bryan Ferry`s son Otis, and Luke Tomlinson, a pal of Prince Charles." The 21 year-old son of the Roxy Music frontman apparently wagged his finger at Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael and yelled: "This isn`t democracy. You`ve overturned democracy". MPs eventually voted by 356 to 166 - a majority of 190 - in favour of the ban at the Hunting Bill`s second reading. Meanwhile, outside, police in riot gear clashed with about 5,000 protestors (according to The Scotsman) or possibly 10,000 (according to The Financial Times). "The abject failure of security - coming so soon after protesters hit the Prime Minister with purple flour bombs - left MPs furious," says The Scotsman, "and demonstrated once again the vulnerability of major public buildings to determined infiltrators." [... more]

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