SHADOW foreign secretary Hilary Benn faced angry protesters at the weekend as thousands marched up and down the country against air strikes in Syria.

Protesters targeted Mr Benn’s own Leeds Central constituenc, where they accused the MP of risking thousands of lives.

Leeds Coalition Against War member Nick Jones praised the protesters for putting Mr Benn under the spotlight following his pro-bombing speech in Parliament.

He told the Star: “People were concerned that the bombing would lead to the loss of innocent lives, increased terrorist threat and bring us no nearer to a peaceful settlement in the area.”

He added that “every one present understood the threat that Isis poses and urged Benn to make sure the UK does all it can to welcome refugees fleeing foreign bombing and Isis terror.”

In London, a Stop the War coalition rally saw Green Party leader Natalie Bennett speak out against the government’s decision.

Ms Bennett said she was disappointed that some MPs had not yet learned the lessons of the interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

She said: “What we need to do is go out in mass numbers again, to rally again, to campaign again, to tell them very clearly: Not in our name.”

The Green leader then defended Labour’s free vote in the Syrian air strikes debate.

“I do not know how any MP could go back to their constituency and say: ‘I voted for war because a whip told me to’,” she told a cheering crowd.

“There’s a principle here and we really need to fight for that principle and say we expect our MPs represent us, not to just fall before the whip, so let’s take real change on that.”

In Scotland, more than 100 people braved Storm Desmond to attend a rally in Glasgow, where union leaders called Labour rebels “barbarians” for siding with the Tory government over Syria.

Unison Scotland deputy convener Stephen Smellie addressed protesters waving placards reading: “Don’t Bomb Syria.”

Mr Smellie said: “What is being done in our name is not in our name.”