Piers Corbyn Reportedly Arrested Over Video Implicating Him in Calls to 'Burn MPs' Offices'
14:10 GMT 19.12.2021 (Updated: 15:17 GMT 28.05.2023)
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Piers Corbyn, brother of former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, was arrested in February this year by police investigating leaflets that likened the nation’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout to the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz.
Piers Corbyn has reportedly been arrested after a video surfaced on social media showing the brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn slamming politicians who voted for COVID-19 restrictions.
"We've got to get a bit more physical."
— habibi (@habibi_uk) December 18, 2021
"We've got to hammer to death those scum, those scum who have decided to go ahead with introducing new fascism."
"If your MP is one of them, go to their offices, and, well, I'd recommend burning them down."
- Piers Corbyn. Lock him up. pic.twitter.com/urQt5HG1Yq
In the footage, a man thought to be Corbyn, a prominent anti-lockdown protester, appeared to call for the offices of MPs to be torched.
London police have confirmed that a man in his 70s remains in custody.
“The arrest relates to a video posted online in which people were encouraged to burn down MPs’ offices,” stated the Metropolitan Police.
A man, aged in his 70s, has been arrested on suspicion of encouragement to commit arson. He remains in police custody.
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) December 19, 2021
The arrest relates to a video posted online in which people were encouraged to burn down MPs’ offices.https://t.co/vKPMUeUm2e
After urging the crowd to “hammer to death those scum who have decided to go ahead with introducing new fascism,” Corbyn, 74, is heard telling a crowd outside Downing Street at an anti-vaccine protest in Westminster:
“You’ve got to get a list of them … and if your MP is one of them, go to their offices and, well, I would recommend burning them down, OK. But I can’t say that on air. I hope we’re not on air.”
Corbyn continues his rant in the video, saying:
“We’ve got to take down these lying MPs. And we’ve got to support and welcome all of those who have rebelled or voted against Boris, ie rebelled from the Tories or my brother and his mates who voted against the measures yesterday, which is a step forward.”
Despite a backbencher Tory rebellion against Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s “Plan B” to curb the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, legislation to introduce vaccine certificates was passed on 14 December.
The UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel, went on Twitter to urge the police to investigate the “sickening” video.
The Piers Corbyn video is sickening.
— Priti Patel (@pritipatel) December 18, 2021
I back the police to take the strongest possible action against him.
Earlier in the year, Piers Corbyn was linked to leaflets comparing the UK's COVID-19 vaccine rollout to Auschwitz. In February, the flyers showed a drawing of the gates of the Nazi concentration camp, with the camp's infamous "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign ("Work sets you free") replaced by the phrase "Vaccines are a safe path to freedom."
5 February 2021, 14:14 GMT
The words had reportedly been taken from a headline in the Evening Standard newspaper on 27 November. Piers Corbyn was credited for the "concept" of the image in the leaflets. Corbyn said at the time he had offered a "full rebuttal" to the police.
