UNITED KINGDOM: In London, thousands of protestors have marched on Parliament Square, calling for the UK to rejoin the European Union (EU).
On Saturday, October 22, the national rejoin march witnessed a large crowd of people walking from Park Lane to Parliament Square. The march drew anti-Brexit supporters from across London, who travelled hours to attend.
The police estimated that there were about 15,000 protesters in Westminster, central London, during the planned protests. At noon, protesters gathered in Park Lane in London, and at one, they began walking to Westminster and Downing Street.
The last stop of the march was at Parliament Square Garden in central London, which saw a sea of blue and yellow as supporters waved EU flags and carried placards. Some signs read, “We voted romaine,” “Brexit was never going to work,” and “For reduced costs £rejoin the EU.”
Crowds carried a sign that read, “We want our star back,” and screamed “b******s to Brexit” as they marched off. A second sign stated, “Cost of exiting Crisis,” while a third stated, “Brexit got the UK done.” “It’s patriotic to want to re-join the EU,” the rally co-organizer declared.
Nikki Ajibade, a 60-year-old teacher from Warwickshire, joined the march with her sister. She stated, “We believe very strongly that the situation we’re in now can be directly linked to the 2016 referendum, which was purportedly an advisory referendum.”
“It wasn’t a supermajority vote; a result of 52 to 48 cannot be simply overturned, upending the entire nation. Watch where we are in six years. Therefore, we firmly believe that we need to hold a general election right away to install a sensible government because the current group is fighting like rats in a sack,” she continued.
When asked if Boris Johnson might run for prime minister once more, Ajibade responded, “If they’re thinking that Boris Johnson is the solution, they haven’t understood the question. Come on, this is simply ludicrous.”
“It’s a disgrace to the country. Even bringing up his name as a potential contender is an insult to the British people,” she added.
“I’m not worried about Boris Johnson coming in, I’m not concerned. It would be brilliant because he would be the final nail in the Tory coffin. They’ve turned us into a national disgrace and an international laughingstock,” she continued further.
Steve Bray, an activist who has been opposing leaving the EU since 2019, declared, “Brexit has ruined our economy. A national election is urgently needed.” When questioned about how Britain may rejoin the EU, Bray responded, “We should negotiate an agreement, get the Customs Union back, the single market, and go from there.”
The crowd booed as images of individuals who supported leaving the EU, like Boris Johnson, Priti Patel, and Nigel Farage were displayed on a big digital screen overlooking Parliament Square Garden. The march was held as the ruling Conservative party looked for a new leader after Liz Truss, Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, resigned.
After 44 days in office, Truss resigned under the strain of financial market instability spurred on by economic initiatives. Many opponents attribute the weak growth to Britain’s exit from the EU.
Even while there are protests, the pro-EU protest on Saturday attracted far fewer people than those that took place before Britain’s withdrawal, when attendance was in the hundreds of thousands.
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