LEWES BONFIRE NIGHT: RISHI SUNAK AND SUELLA BRAVERMAN UNVEILED AS EFFIGY

As the Guy Fawkes Night festivities unfolded across the United Kingdom, celebrants in the town of Lewes, East Sussex, directed their attention toward two notable political figures, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman, by showcasing their effigies in a fiery spectacle.

The burning of effigies has been a customary practice during Lewes Bonfire Night, a commemoration of the thwarted Gunpowder Plot of 1605. This year's renditions of Sunak and Braverman were particularly striking, with Sunak depicted as a rat atop a bag of money and Braverman portrayed as an octopus whose tentacles extended into various government departments.

The effigies were paraded through Lewes's streets before being ignited in a grand bonfire. The crowd erupted in cheers as the flames consumed the effigies, symbolizing their discontent with the policies of the two politicians.

 

@adrenalinefuelled Rishi Sunak 👀 #bonfirenight #guyfawkes #fireworks #primeminister #government #lewes #burn #foryou #fyp #5thnovember #2023 ♬ original sound - Explore More 🌍

Sunak and Braverman join a list of politicians previously featured in the Lewes Bonfire Night effigy-burning tradition, including former Prime Ministers Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

While the burning of effigies remains a contentious tradition, some critics find it disrespectful and potentially incendiary. Conversely, proponents argue that it represents a harmless form of protest and an outlet for expressing disapproval of unpopular political figures.

 

Irrespective of one's stance on the tradition, it's undeniable that the incineration of Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman's effigies will stand out as one of the most memorable moments of Bonfire Night 2023.