Brian Haw (1949-2011) was one of the most visible, influential and determined peace campaigners of our times. In June 2001, he began a peace protest at Parliament Square in Westminster, where he remained for nearly ten years, surviving on food brought by supporters. Brian only left his makeshift campsite to attend court hearings and his campaign is understood to be the longest continual protest in English history.

Brian Haw maintained a noisy presence at Westminster, camped on the grass directly outside the Houses of Parliament. Initially inspired by the war in Iraq and UK and US foreign policy, his peace campaign became an unavoidable presence for MPs as they made their way to and from work. Brian’s protests were joined by the likes of the Stop the War coalition, whose 2003 march through London against the Iraq War brought two million people to the city’s streets.  

In spite of many attempts to curtail and quieten his protest and have him removed, Brian Haw’s personal conviction to raise awareness of human suffering due to war saw him remain at Westminster until just a few months before his death in 2011. His campaign has inspired films, plays and artworks, notably Mark Wallinger’s ‘State Britain’ installation. The remnants of Brian’s camp – nearly 800 objects, including banners, flags, clothes and megaphones – which had been cleared from Parliament Square by the police, now form an important part of the protest collection at the Museum of London, having been donated by Brian’s family following his death.