Protestor who threw himself in front of Boris Johnson’s car is ex-Kurdish freedom fighter

The protestor who threw himself in front of Boris Johnson‘s car has said he is ‘very sorry’ and never meant to hurt anyone – as it is revealed he is a former Kurdish freedom fighter who fled Iraq after a gas attack by Saddam Hussein.  

Father-of-one Diyari Kurdi, 48, took up arms when he was 17 years old to join the Peshmerga in their fight to protect their homeland from the Iraqi dictator.

His daughter Lana revealed he had been arrested and tortured after joining his father and brother in their struggle for a free Kurdistan.

She said many members of his family were killed in the poison gas attack launched by Hussein in 1988 when over 5,000 men, women and children were killed in Halabja.

Footage of the incident yesterday shows how he was within touching distance of Boris Johnson‘s Jaguar after running past police as the Prime Minister left the Houses of Parliament, before he was finally tackled to the floor by a female officer.  

Mr Kurdi told MailOnline: ‘I can’t comment too much because of the court case but I never meant to hurt anyone. I just feel very passionate about what is happening to Kurdish people. 

When asked if he would like to apologise to Boris Johnson and others caught up in the accident he said: ‘Yes, I’m very sorry.’

CCTV captured the moment he ran into the road, stopping in front of a police motorbike in front of the Prime minister’s vehicle and then being dragged away. 

Diyari, who had been demonstrating about Turkey’s operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, was taken into the Palace of Westminster by Metropolitan Police officers in the immediate aftermath.  He was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence and obstructing the highway.

Diyari fled to the UK when he was 22 years old and was granted political asylum two years later and settled in North London.

He became a prominent member of the Kurdish Community in London and also joined the Kurdistan National Congress.

Writing on a blog post, Lana Diyari said her father returned to his homeland for the first time in 26 years where he was reunited with the surviving members of his family.

She said his grandmother was so overcome with emotion at seeing him after two decades that she collapsed.

Friends said the 48-year-old’s protest was an ‘act of desperation’ as he joined other demonstrators highlighting the attacks on the Kurdish people by Turkey.

‘He feels very passionately that the Kurdish people have once again been betrayed, said a friend.

‘The US forces have left the region and the British are supplying weapons to the Turkish Government that are being used to attack the Kurds.’

Diyari is originally from Sulaymaniayah in Northern Iraq, an autonomous region that has its own Government but was opposed by the Iraqi dictator.

His daughter, who lives in Perth, Australia, said her father walked across mountains for five days in his escape from Kurdistan when he was in his early 20s.

He crossed into Syria and obtained false documents that allowed him to fly to the UK arriving in 1984.

Diyari was granted political asylum but prior to his escape had lived in the mountains for five years, seeing his mother only once, according to Lana.

In a blog post written last year, Lana said: ‘During his five years in the mountains he saw his mum once, for a few minutes only, she went looking for him in the mountain villages as she was told he had been killed. 

‘It was extremely dangerous for families or friends of the Peshmerga to be in contact as any association with them would most likely result in being killed. The Peshmerga are known throughout Kurdistan as heroes but deemed by the governments in the region as ‘terrorists’.

‘My dad’s childhood wasn’t like mine, he was 13 when he was arrested and tortured for the first time. His father and brother were fighting as Peshmerga in the mountains and my dad was the oldest boy in the house, therefore had to take the punishment. High schools were watched and monitored closely by government forces to ensure that students with a politically active Kurdish background were easily threatened or arrested.’

She added: ‘My dad built a life in London; using the trauma he lived with for so many years to help others. He was the chair of the Kurdish community in London and a Member of Kurdistan National Congress.

‘He has helped a huge amount of Kurdish refugees and remains an active member of the Kurdish community, supporting the human rights of Kurds and other displaced people. I grew up going to protests, marches and rallies supporting any movements for Kurdish and other human rights.’

Yesterday a Scotland Yard spokesman said: ‘At approximately 2.30pm today, two police vehicles were involved in a collision in Parliament Square. The police vehicles were part of a security movement. 

‘A pedestrian is reported to have stepped onto the road, causing the vehicles to suddenly stop, which has led to two of the vehicles in the convoy being involved in a damage-only collision. No injuries have been reported.

‘A man, no further details at this time, was arrested at the scene for offences under Section 5 of the Public Order Act and for obstructing the highway. All vehicles were able to drive from the scene.’ 

Section 5 of the act covers people using or displaying threatening words or behaving in a disorderly manner, or displaying any writing or sign which is threatening and would cause someone to feel alarmed or distressed. 

Downing Street confirmed Mr Johnson was inside the car at the time of the incident, which happened just yards away from where terrorist Khalid Masood drove a car into Parliament’s gates in March 2017, killing five people.

This new incident raises serious questions over whether security in the area still needs to be improved.