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As it happenedended

Brexit march: '1 million' Put It To The People protesters stage historic rally for a second referendum

See how we covered the day's events live

Adam Forrest
London
,Zamira Rahim
Saturday 23 March 2019 21:01 GMT
Comments
Femi Oluwole chats to Put it to the People marchers

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Some one million people were estimated to have joined the Put It To The People march in central London today, organisers said.

Organised by the People’s Vote, Britain for Europe and Open Britain, protesters demanded the public be given a final say on the Brexit process.

Campaigners seeking a second referendum started in Park Lane at midday before gathering at Parliament Square for a series of speeches, with demonstrators tailing back through the route shown on aerial footage.

On stage Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson addressed Theresa May's own speech this week when she told voters fed up of Brexit that "I am on your side".

He said: “Have a look out of the window prime minister. Open your curtains. Switch on your TV. Here are the people. Theresa May - you don’t speak for us.”

And Michael Heseltine told marchers that the EU represented "parliamentary democracies working together with power based on a shared sovereignty far in excess of anything any one of us could achieve individually" over decades.

People came from across the country to join the demonstration. Sorcha Kirker, 27, travelled from Orkney and told The Independent: "This is too important to miss because of something like geography. It’s our future."

The march took place as Ms May fought to stay in office, with ministers reportedly plotting to oust her. In a letter to MPs she did not guarantee that she would bring her deal back to the Commons for a third meaningful vote, amid suspicions it would fail to pass again.

See below how we covered the march live:

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 14:26

Rally hosts Mariella Frostrup and Richard Bacon have taken to the stage in Parliament Square. Following the estimate made by organisers, they have also claimed that an initial count of demonstrators shows that the amount of people taking part in the march has topped one million. 

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 14:33

Student leaders Ellie James and Gwyneth Sweatman are making the first speeches at the Parliament Square rally.

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 14:44

Meanwhile in Nottinghamshire, here is everyone attending Nigel Farage’s March for Leave protest today.

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 14:52

And here’s some incredible, bird’s-eye-view footage of the Put It To The People march in London.

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 14:53

The petition to revoke Article 50 has pushed past 4.3 million. Earlier today, Margaret Georgiadou, the woman who set it up, said on Twitter she had received death threats.

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 14:57

The former Tory MP Anna Soubry, now a member of the Independent Group, has been celebrating the news the march has topped one million people - according to organisers’ initial estimate.

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 15:00

Guy Verhofstadt, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group leader in the European Parliament, has commented on both today’s London march and the petition to revoke Article 50.

“The revolt against Brexit, by marching and petitions, is the best answer to all kind of populists and nationalists who promised the undeliverable and then ran away,” he tweeted.

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 15:10

Looks like Uri Geller, the Israeli-British illusionist who has promised to stop Brexit by telepathy, is suddenly popular again.

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 15:15

Edmund Sides, a 63-year-old geologist, has spent the last three weeks walking from Wales to London in order to take part in the march today.

He said he has been encouraging families that have been split between Leave and Remain to mend fences and talk.

“The whole country isn’t doing enough of that,” he told AP. “People fear the atmosphere is very dangerous in this country.”

Adam Forrest23 March 2019 15:24

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