Protesters against the UK’s exit from the EU have labelled the move “a huge mistake” as they campaigned to rejoin the bloc.
A large crowd of pro-EU protesters gathered outside the Hilton hotel on Park Lane in central London for the National Rejoin March (NRM) on Saturday.
Hundreds of people dressed in blue clothes and carrying EU flags filled the pavement before the march through the city’s streets, which was expected to culminate with a rally in Parliament Square.
Clusters of Metropolitan police officers were at the scene as protesters handed out flyers and passing cars hooted their horns in support.
Peter Corr, the leader and co-founder of NRM, said he had decided to organise the march because it “felt like everyone had given up” on the cause.
The UK voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016, called by the then-prime minister, David Cameron.
Corr, a lorry driver from Derby, said: “Brexit was a huge mistake, we’re all – especially working-class and poorer people – paying for it and we need to do something about it.”
He said 60% of the country, and 80% of people aged under 25, were consistently in favour of rejoining the EU in polls. “I hate racism and xenophobia and that’s just what a big part of that ‘vote leave’ campaign really felt like to me,” he said.
Ceira Sergeant, 21, from Walton in Liverpool, one of the speakers at the rally, said: “I was only 14 when the referendum happened, so there was a huge amount of my peers who never got the chance to have their voices heard.”
Protesters held up placards before the march expressing their discontent with leaving the EU, including “The road to rejoin the EU starts here,” and “Rejoin, Rejoice.”
Another sign read: “Tories out, migrants welcome. Rejoin the EU.”
Groups from across the country, including Devon, Cornwall and Stratford, were present with personalised placards.
Protesters from other European countries also attended with many wearing EU-styled berets.
Representatives of the Green party displayed a banner in solidarity.
Terry Reintke, a member of European parliament from Germany and co-chair of the Green group in the assembly, said Europeans viewed events such as the march with “a lot of sympathy” and that the UK was viewed as an “absolutely integral partner”.
“The UK has managed to build one of the biggest pro-European movements across Europe, and we can still feel there are so many millions of people in the UK who want to rejoin the EU,” she said.
Asked whether there had been discussions in the European parliament about the UK’s possible return, she said: “If there was a willingness to rejoin, our door would be open.”
Lisa Burton, 53, from Rhondda Valley in Wales, now lives in Lanzarote and is vice-chair of Bremain campaign group in Spain.
“It’s just becoming evident of the damages of Brexit, every sector is suffering,” she said.
“We’re British immigrants living in the EU who took advantage of the freedom of movement, and I feel British people have a very warped image of what that is. They think it’s only inward.
“We think that sticking plasters over Brexit is never going to be enough.”
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