I wear a yellow, hi-viz jacket. Not a ‘gilet jaune’, because I’m English. Not a political statement, not because I’m on a building site, but because I cycle. And although women in Range Rovers are ‘yellow-blind’, generally it makes you visible to most drivers who might, on occasion, choose to avoid you.

But my gilet jaune has been hi-jacked. First in France, previously a nation famous for stylish attire and classy dressing, when the hi-viz became a political movement, which itself has then been hi-jacked further by extremists both right and left who use it as an excuse for riots and violent anti-government protest. And now here. In our own ‘back yard’ as some of the protesters yesterday in Westminster chose to adopt the garment for their own political purposes. Bit subtle, perhaps, as a yellow jacket has no meaning whatsoever on this side of the channel, but its probably just a comment by association, solidarity with the rioters in Paris, thugs of the world unite, kind’a deal.

Yesterday’s protest was about… yeah, fucking Brexit. With the ‘pros’ on one side and the ‘antis’ on the other. Spokesperson for the ‘get out quick!’ brigade was Tommy Robinson, leader of most banned far right organisations since Hitler died. His message clear: Europe=immigration; immigration=Muslims; leave Europe=no more Muslims. You do the maths!!! It’s simple, elegant and stupidly facile and misleading. As you’d expect from Tommy Robinson.

Also speaking was the new head man of UKIP. Don’t know his name, no reason to learn it; the party’s dead and what remains is more of a joke than it was under Farage’s smilingly toxic leadership.

So the anti-Brexiters marched too. Not sure which side was wearing hi-viz because the gilets jaune movement is anti-government and as both sides of the Brexit debate are anti-government, including most of the government itself, there’s confusion. But the anti-racists marched, because wherever Tommy R goes, they follow. And a bunch of feminists marched too. Why not? March is a march, right?

It was peaceful. Because we’re British. ‘We’ll always have Paris’, the skinheads probably whispered in each other’s ears as the protesters peacefully departed. Probably just as confused as everyone else as to what, precisely, the demonstrations were actually about.

Vote tomorrow. God help us.

Happy Monday

A xxxx