LONDON - Hundreds of thousands of Britons marched through London on Saturday to demand a new Brexit referendum, saying their views were being ignored as lawmakers in parliament decided the fate of Britain’s departure from the European Union.
The protesters, some having travelled for hours from around the United Kingdom to get to the capital, waved EU flags under sunny skies and held placards that employed creativity and wit.
The crowd clogged vast stretches of central London, with thousands of people waiting to begin the march at Hyde Park by the time others had reached parliament as lawmakers held the first Saturday session since the 1982 Falklands war.
“I am incensed that we are not being listened to. Nearly all the polls show that now people want to remain in the EU. We feel that we are voiceless,” said Hannah Barton, 56, a cider maker from central England, who was draped in an EU flag. “This is a national disaster waiting to happen and it is going to destroy the economy.”
After more than three years of tortuous debate, it is still uncertain how, when or even if Brexit will happen as Prime Minister Boris Johnson tries to pass his new Brexit deal and plots a way out of the deepest political crisis in a generation.
While Brexit has divided families, parties, parliament and the country, both sides agree Saturday could be one of the most important days in recent British history: a juncture that could shape the fate of the United Kingdom for generations.
Many protesters carried placards, some comparing Brexit to the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. Some wore elaborate costumes with one group dressed as fruit and vegetables. There were also effigies mocking politicians such as Johnson and his key adviser Dominic Cummings.
Many of the signs displayed a dry British sense of humour. One said: “I am very cross about this” while another was: “I made this sign instead of screaming”. As the marchers advanced some blew whistles and erupted in shouts of “Stop Brexit”. A percussion band played and a gathering sang the EU’s anthem “Ode to Joy”.
James McGrory, director of the People’s Vote campaign, which organised the march, said ahead of the protest the government should heed the anger of pro-Europeans and hold another referendum on EU membership.
“This new deal bears no resemblance to what people were promised and so it is only right that the public deserve another chance to have their say,” he said.