Londonist would like to say 'Happy Fourth Birthday' to Brain Haw, Parliament Square's resident protestor.
Brian has been protesting against UK and US government policy towards Iraq since 2 June 2001, and this makes his the longst running one-man protest in modern history.
In the past four years Brian has only left his post outside the Houses of Parliament to attend court for the five legal bids to evict him.
In that time he has stood for MP as the independent Parliament Square Peace Campaigner in the general election on 5 May (you can read his menifesto here); beat Westminster Council's injunction to remove his placards for 'obstruction' and 'unlawful advertising'; received £2000 compensation after Charing Cross police crushed a number of his signs; suffered a broken nose at the hands of a worker from the US Embassy; and survived a move to add a clause to the Anti-Social Behaviour Bill to remove him.
For more info on Brian, read his Wikipedia entry.
