Brexit march London: The People's Vote protest organisers urge Leave and Remain voters to unite for rally

Rebecca Speare-Cole23 March 2019

Organisers of the People's Vote march in London have said they hope to attract both Leave and Remain supporters this weekend.

Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to march from Park Lane to Parliament Square on Saturday, March 23 in support of a final vote on the Brexit deal.

The demonstration will take place just six days ahead of the UK's scheduled departure date from the EU on March 29.

Campaigners will gather at midday before a 90-minute walk to the Houses of Parliament, where a rally will take place from 2-2.30pm to 4pm.

It comes after more than 700,000 people took to London's streets for a People's Vote march on October 20 last year.

People's Vote protesters march on London in October 2018
AFP/Getty Images

The event was organised by The People's Vote, a grassroots campaign, who are supported by predominantly pro-remain constituent groups across the UK, like Britain for Europe, For Our Future's Sake and Our Future Our Choice.

However, spokesman Adrian McMenamin said they hope Brexiteers will join the crowds in a mutual push for a final vote on leaving the EU.

Mr McMenamin said: "It is open to absolutely everybody. We are not a campaign against Brexit. We are a campaign for a vote on Brexit.

"At the moment, people who voted on the referendum in 2016 and have now seen what is on offer from the Prime Minister, want to have their say on these options or whether remaining in the EU is a better option.

"There are people, who still support Leave want a democratic consolidation of the referendum result in 2016.

"So there will be people there on Saturday who will have that view too and it is absolutely open to them."

More than £680,000 has been raised so far to fund the event, including its promotion, building a crowd and hosting the rally in Parliament Square, Mr McMenamin said.

People's Vote protesters march on Parliament Square - in Pictures

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"We expect there will be hundreds of thousands turn up but I do not have an exact estimate, and am unable to say whether it will be larger than October's March," he added.

"It is going to be a big event. We obviously hope it will be as big as possible."

Mr McMenamin said the march hopes to send a message after prime minister Theresa May chose "to gamble with the country's future again".

He added that any final deal should be "ratified by the people".

"She has decided to test what has failed before by bribing members of parliament into supporting her deal," he said.

"We want it to stop. What we want to see parliament do is to settle on a form of Brexit to put to the people.

"It is a sensible reasonable way to behave because it gives people a choice between a negotiated deal on Brexit or remaining in the EU."

After huge congestion at Hyde Park Corner tube station in October, Put it to the People organisers advise attendees to go to Marble Arch instead to avoid overcrowding.

"If you are at the front of the march it will be a 90-minute march but might be longer at the back," Mr McMenamin said.

Demonstrators with banners 'Exit Brexit' during the People's Vote March for the Future 
EPA

"The rally in parliament square will start at 2 to 2.30pm and finish around 4 but I would recommend people come to the march as well for the atmosphere."

"It will be a fun event and people should think about placards they can bring, especially for the photographs."

The march will assemble at 12pm on Park Lane from the Hilton Hotel back towards Marble Arch, and will end around 4pm in Parliament Square.

Behind the front of the march will be a brass band and accessibility zone for disabled marchers.

Columns of marchers will follow behind, including an LGBT+ column, an NHS column, columns from political parties, and a women’s column.

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