A video clip of a woman who interrupted a Sky News interview to make an impassioned plea about the impact of a no-deal Brexit on EU citizens who live in the UK has gone viral.
The woman, who said she was a Portuguese national and had lived in the UK for 20 years, spoke passionately to a reporter during protests against prorogation on Wednesday night, saying she had “given her youth” to the UK.
She said she had “finally” joined the Brexit protests because she needed a voice. “I have no voice and the settlement scheme is not working,” she said.
Her words have struck a chord on social media where many people called her “brave”.
The woman said: “I work and I gave this country my youth. I’m very grateful for what you taught me but you must make me part of all this process. I can’t just be kicked out. I build things for you, I’ve looked after your children. I’ve looked after the elderly in this country. Now you kick me out with what? With what?
Gesturing towards the Houses of Parliament, she said: “I am very very hurt by what they’ve done to England because I came here and I joined the working force and I’m very proud of it and I’m very angry at them for doing this to this country.”
She went onto say she had had problems with her national insurance number and that she was going to have to start the whole process again.
“But the 31st of October is fast approaching. What am I going to do? How am I going to stay? What are my rights? I’m in the dark like many many people ... I have loads of English friends and they would never do this to me. This unelected parliament did this to us.”
She was attending a hastily organised protest which saw thousands takeover College Green outside the Houses of Parliament on Wednesday evening.
Protesters were demonstrating against Prime Minister Boris Johnson temporarily closing down the Commons from the second week of September until October 14 when there will be a Queen’s Speech to open a new session of parliament.
The protest was organised just hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he planned to prorogue parliament in order to push through his new domestic agenda.
More than 1.2 million people have signed a petition demanding the suspension of parliament is halted.