Pro-European groups will be out in force on Saturday for a so-called National Day of Action, with hundreds of events taking place across the country.



Activists and supporters from pro-EU pressure groups Open Britain, the European Movement and Britain for Europe will stage events in every part of the UK, in areas that voted both Remain and Leave.



Big demonstrations will be held in large population centres including London, the West Midlands, Cardiff, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Belfast.



In addition, there will be more than 350 smaller events taking place up and down the UK, from Aberdeen in the north of Scotland, to Falmouth in Cornwall.

Organisers are hoping thousands of activists and supporters will be taking part, and are proposed to hand out 500,000 leaflets.



In addition, more than 100 street stalls will be set up in towns and cities across Britain, both in areas which voted Remain and those which voted to Leave.



Campaigners will then launch a new People’s Vote campaign off the back of the event, calling for the British people to get a fresh vote on the Brexit deal before we quit the EU.



Pro-EU MPs including Labour’s Chuka Umunna and Tory Anna Soubry will be among those addressing the London event.

James McGrory, executive director of Open Britain, said: “Our largest ever National Day of Action is all about bringing together the various pro-European groups so that we can speak with one, unified, voice because we know that together we are stronger.”



James MacCleary, campaign director of European Movement UK, added: “The pro-European movement is gaining in strength and momentum and that progress will be reflected this weekend with a huge demonstration of grassroots power in favour of a People’s Vote on the Brexit deal.”



And Anne Weyman, vice chairwoman of Britain for Europe, said: “We may come from different political parties, different traditions and different groups, but we are united by our desire for the people to have their say on the Brexit deal and we are determined to make sure their voice is heard loud and clear.”



The national events come two days after Best for Britain, a separate campaign group, unveiled plans to launch a lawsuit aimed at securing a second referendum.

The organisation argues that any future arrangements will amend or replace existing EU treaties, and should therefore be subject to the 2011 European Union Act, which introduced a “referendum lock” for laws with wide-ranging consequences.



In a statement, the group said: “Best for Britain believes that when David Cameron and hundreds of Conservative MPs voted for a referendum lock, they voted to give the people a say, through a public vote if there were fundamental changes in the treaties.



“Leaving the EU will be the most significant treaty change yet, and transition arrangements are likely to mean a big transfer of powers to Brussels.”



Best for Britain’s CEO Eloise Todd added: “This case is simply about having the right for people to make sure their voice matters on the biggest change in our country’s direction since the second World War.” </s> Demonstrators calling for the public to be given a vote on the final Brexit deal will be out in Scotland’s capital.

Thousands of marchers are expected in Edinburgh on Saturday, with the city hosting one of the events planned as part of what organisers claim will be the largest ever pro European day of action.

It comes ahead of the launch of a People’s Vote campaign on Sunday, calling for Britain to hold a ballot on the final deal for the UK’s departure from the European Union.

The day of action is being organised by the European Movement, Open Britain and Britain for Europe, with more than 100 planned across the UK, from Aberdeen to Falmouth.

Thousands of activists will be taking part, with 500,000 leaflets being handed out and more than 100 street stalls set up.

Juuso Jarviniemi, president of the Young European Movement, said they were taking part in the Edinburgh demonstration with other groups “to persuade the Scottish people that we should all have a say on the final Brexit deal”.

The Edinburgh University student added: “Each day that passes shows Brexit is turning out to be much more complicated and costly than people were told during the referendum.

“Scotland voted clearly to remain and that’s why its people should get the chance to vote on the final Brexit deal. It would be fair and democratic.”

James McGrory, executive director of the Open Britain campaign group, said: “Our largest ever national day of action is all about bringing together the various pro-European groups so that we can speak with one, unified voice, because we know that together we are stronger.”

Meanwhile James MacCleary, the campaign director of European Movement UK, said: “The pro-European movement is gaining in strength and momentum and that progress will be reflected this weekend with a huge demonstration of grassroots power in favour of a People’s Vote on the Brexit deal.”

Anne Weyman, vice chair of Britain for Europe, stated: “We may come from different political parties, different traditions and different groups, but we are united by our desire for the people to have their say on the Brexit deal and we are determined to make sure their voice is heard loud and clear.” </s> Pro-EU campaigners will hold a national day of action on Saturday. (David Mirzoeff/PA)

Thousands of pro-EU activists to demonstrate on national action day BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Thousands of pro-European campaigners will take part in demonstrations across the country this weekend in what has been dubbed the groups’ largest ever joint grassroots national day of action. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/thousands-of-proeu-activists-to-demonstrate-on-national-action-day-36803123.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/article36803121.ece/a9fbc/AUTOCROP/h342/bpanews_ab236979-321c-4d36-b24e-710775cc2459_1

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Thousands of pro-European campaigners will take part in demonstrations across the country this weekend in what has been dubbed the groups’ largest ever joint grassroots national day of action.

Activists and supporters from Open Britain, the European Movement and Britain for Europe will take to the streets for 12 flagship events in every part of the UK on Saturday.

In all there will be more than 350 events taking place across the country, from Aberdeen in the north of Scotland to Falmouth in the south of Cornwall.

Thousands of pro-EU activists and supporters are expected to take part, with organisers saying 500,000 leaflets will be handed out and more than 100 street stalls set up in towns and cities across Britain, in areas that voted both Remain and Leave.

MUST-READ: This weekend, along with 8 other pro-European organisations, thousands of activists will take to the streets demanding a vote on final Brexit deal https://t.co/CvO6o3AJrK pic.twitter.com/BzMVOTT8rp — People's Vote HQ (@peoplesvote_hq) April 13, 2018

James McGrory, executive director of Open Britain, said: “Our largest ever national day of action is all about bringing together the various pro-European groups so that we can speak with one, unified, voice because we know that together we are stronger.”

The day of action will lead into the launch of a fresh campaign on Sunday calling for a referendum on the final Brexit deal.

Some 1,000 activists are set to attend the campaign’s launch event in London, which will include speeches from pro-Europe MPs such as Labour’s Chuka Umunna and Conservative Anna Soubry.

James MacCleary, campaign director of European Movement UK, said: “The pro-European movement is gaining in strength and momentum and that progress will be reflected this weekend with a huge demonstration of grassroots power in favour of a people’s vote on the Brexit deal.”

Anne Weyman, vice chair of Britain for Europe, added: “We may come from different political parties, different traditions and different groups, but we are united by our desire for the people to have their say on the Brexit deal and we are determined to make sure their voice is heard loud and clear.”

PA </s> Thousands of people turned out for a People's Vote march in London on Saturday to demand a referendum on the final Brexit deal struck by the UK government with the European Union (EU).

The campaign, 'March for the Future', from Park Lane to Parliament Square was dubbed by the organisers, Open Britain, as the "biggest, loudest and most important" demonstration on Britain's future.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out the prospect of another referendum, saying that the people had already expressed their views in the June 2016 referendum – when the British public voted to leave the EU by a margin of 51.89 per cent to 48.11 per cent.

But the organisers say that "Brexit negotiations are taking us towards a future that nobody voted for".

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is among some of the prominent politicians to throw their support behind the People's Vote campaign, which is demanding a vote on the final deal with the European Union in the form a fresh referendum.

He said, "What's clear is that the only options on the table now from the Prime Minister are a bad Brexit deal, or no deal whatsoever."

"That's a million miles away from what was promised two-and-a-half years ago. In those circumstances, what we demand is that the British public gets a say in whether they accept the outcome of the negotiations, which could be a bad Brexit deal, it could be no deal, with the option of staying in the European Union," Khan added.

Protestors waving placards such as "Breverse", "Exit This Brexit" and "We Want EU" and shouting anti-Brexit slogans marched through central London to gather at the Parliament Square for a rally.

Around 150 bus-loads of people from across the UK reportedly travelled from far and wide for the Saturday's march and rally.

The hashtag #PeoplesVoteMarch began trending on the social media site Twitter as the numbers kept growing through the day.

"Brexit's becoming a dog's dinner. This week's fresh chaos and confusion over Brexit negotiations has exposed how even the best deal now available will be a bad one for Britain," opposition Labour Party leader Lord Adonis, one of the supporters of the People's Vote campaign, said.

"It's a mess that nobody voted for and the reason we are in such a growing crisis is that those cheerleading for Brexit know the promises they made can never be kept," he said.

"The idea that you should have a second referendum would be incredibly damaging – most of all to the trust in democracy from people up and down this country," Richard Tice, founder of the opposing Leave Means Leave campaign, said.

The march comes as the Brexit negotiations hit a major hurdle earlier this week, with the British premier indicating that the post-Brexit transition period may have to be extended to achieve a deal with the EU over contentious issues such as keeping an open border between non-member UK territory Northern Ireland and EU member-state Ireland.

It has caused further turmoil and growing anger within the ruling Conservative Party ranks, with most pro-Brexit ministers opposed to any such extension.

The UK is scheduled to formally leave the EU on March 29, 2019, under the terms of the two-year Article 50 process. The current plan is for a transition period of 21 months to run until December 2021 to smooth the path from Brexit to the UK and EU's future trading relationship. </s> Over one million people opposed to Britain's withdrawal from the European Union marched through central London on Saturday to demand a new referendum as the deepening Brexit crisis risked sinking Prime Minister Theresa May's premiership.

Over one million people opposed to Britain's withdrawal from the European Union marched through central London on Saturday to demand a new referendum as the deepening Brexit crisis risked sinking Prime Minister Theresa May's premiership.

'Never gonna give EU up' - Over one million march through London to demand new referendum on Brexit

Marchers set off in central London with banners proclaiming "the best deal is no Brexit" and "we demand a People's Vote" in what organisers said could be the biggest anti-Brexit protest yet.

Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon told the rally in Parliament Square that “the prime minister and her government have proved completely incapable of delivering on the result of the 2016 vote, which is why it is right that this should now go back to the people."

Addressing the crowd Anna Soubry of The Independent Group, Conservatives Justine Greening and Philip Lee, Green Caroline Lucas, the Lib Dem’s Jo Swinson, the SNP’s Ian Blackford and Labour’s David Lammy and Rosena Alin Khan took it in turns to criticise the Brexit process.

After three years of tortuous debate, it is still uncertain how, when or even if Brexit will happen as May tries to plot a way out of the gravest political crisis in at least a generation.

May hinted on Friday that she might not bring her twice-defeated EU divorce deal back to parliament next week, leaving her Brexit strategy in meltdown.

"I would feel differently if this was a well managed process and the government was taking sensible decisions. But it is complete chaos," Gareth Rae, 59, who travelled from Bristol to attend the demonstration, told Reuters.

"The country will be divided whatever happens and it is worse to be divided on a lie."

While the country and its politicians are divided over Brexit, most agree it is the most important strategic decision the United Kingdom has faced since World War II.

Pro-EU protesters gathered for a "Put it to the people march" at Marble Arch on the edge of Hyde Park around midday, before marching past the prime minister's office in Downing Street and finish outside parliament.

While there was no official estimate of the numbers, campaign organisers said hundreds of thousands of people were in the crowd as it began to march.

Organisers were confident that the size of the crowd would exceed a similar rally held in October, when supporters said about 700,000 people turned up.

Phoebe Poole, 18, who was holding a placard saying "never gonna give EU up" in reference to a song by 1980s popstar Rick Astley, wasn’t old enough to vote in the 2016 referendum.

"We have come here today because we feel like our future has been stolen from us. It is our generation that is going to have to live with the consequences of this disaster," she told Reuters.

"It is going to make it harder to get a job. You are already seeing a lot of large companies leaving. I am worried about the future."

Two hundred coaches from around Britain were booked to take people to London for the march. One coach left the Scottish Highlands on Friday evening, and another left from Cornwall on England's western tip early on Saturday morning.

A petition to cancel Brexit altogether gained 4 million signatures in just 3 days after May told the public "I am on your side" over Brexit and urged lawmakers to get behind her deal.

In the June 23, 2016 referendum, 17.4 million voters, or 52pc, backed Brexit while 16.1 million, or 48 percent, backed staying in the bloc.

But ever since, opponents of Brexit have been exploring ways to hold another referendum.

May has repeatedly ruled out holding another Brexit referendum, saying it would deepen divisions and undermine support for democracy. Brexit supporters say a second referendum would trigger a major constitutional crisis.

We already put it to the people. And the people roared," pro-leave group Change Britain said in a tweet.

Supporters of Brexit say that while the divorce might bring some short-term instability, in the longer term Britain would thrive if cut free from what they cast as a doomed experiment in German-dominated unity that is falling far behind other major powers.

Some opinion polls have shown a slight shift in favour of remaining in the European Union, but there has yet to be a decisive change in attitudes.

Many voters in Britain say they have become increasingly bored by Brexit and May said on Wednesday that they want this stage of the Brexit process to be "over and done with."

But protesters disagreed with May's claim that she is on the side of the British public, with one placard reading: "You do not speak for us Theresa." </s> LONDON/BELFAST – Hundreds of thousands of supporters of the European Union marched through London on Saturday in the biggest demonstration so far to demand that the British government holds a public vote on the terms of Brexit.

The protesters waved the blue and gold flag of the EU and held up “Bollocks to Brexit” banners under sunny skies to call for another referendum on the eventual deal on how Britain will leave the world’s biggest trading bloc.

The march comes after another tumultuous week for Prime Minister Theresa May in which she failed to agree a divorce deal with EU leaders in Brussels and infuriated members of her own party by making further concessions in the talks.

With just over five months until Britain is due to leave there is no clarity about what a future trade deal with the EU will look like and some rebels in May’s Conservative Party have threatened to vote down a deal if she clinches one.

James McGrory, one of the organisers of the march, said voters should have the chance to change their minds because the decision will impact their lives for generations.

“People think the Brexit negotiations are a total mess, they have no faith in the government to deliver the promises that were made, partly because they cannot be delivered,” he said.

At the march, demonstrators carried placards saying “Brexit is pants”, “Time for an EU turn” and “European and proud.”

Organisers said about 700,000 people took part in the march, which would make it the largest in Britain since a demonstration against the Iraq war in 2003.

The “People’s Vote” campaign, which includes several pro-EU groups, said they had stewards stationed at regular intervals to estimate the size of the crowd. The police did not provide an independent estimate of numbers participating.

Protesters originally gathered near Hyde Park and then walked past Downing Street and finished outside parliament where they listened to politicians from all main political parties.

Britain’s 2016 referendum saw 52 percent vote in favour of leaving the European Union. But the past two years have been politically fraught as the government has struggled to agree on a plan and there are fears that Britain could leave the bloc without a deal.

Some opinion polls have shown a slight shift in favour of remaining in the European Union, but there has yet to be a decisive change in attitudes and many in Britain say they have become increasingly bored by Brexit.

The prime minister has repeatedly ruled out holding a second referendum. The opposition Labour party’s Brexit spokesman said last month his party open to a second referendum with the option of staying in the bloc in certain circumstances.

In Belfast in Northern Ireland, around 2,000 people gathered on Saturday to oppose Brexit.

Brendan Heading, a 39-year-old IT worker, said he was worried the decision to leave the EU would damage the economy and could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom.

“I feel that Brexit threatens prosperity and stability,” he said. “People should have the opportunity to vote for an alternative based on what we now know.”

Brexit supporters held their own rally in the town of Harrogate in the north of England.

Richard Tice, Vice-Chairman of Leave Means Leave and one of the speakers at the event, described the people on the march in London as “losers” and said a second referendum would trigger a constitutional crisis.

“We had a vote, we voted to leave, the idea to have a second referendum would be incredibly damaging,” he said.

“People need to be under no illusions as to how people feel about what is a significant potential for a total betrayal of democracy in this country.” </s> London: Hundreds of thousands of protesters opposed to Britain's impending exit from the European Union marched through central London on Saturday, demanding a new referendum and to have a say on the government's final Brexit deal with the EU.

Organisers say another public vote is needed because new facts have come out about the costs and complexity of Britain's exit from the bloc since voters chose to leave in 2016.

They estimated that some 700,000 people took part Saturday in the "People's Vote March," which saw 150 buses of marchers pour into the British capital from all across the country. Police did not provide an attendance estimate.

"What's clear is that the only options on the table now from the prime minister are a bad Brexit deal, or no deal whatsoever," London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who joined the march, told the BBC. "That's a million miles away from what was promised 2 1/2 years ago."

Khan said Saturday's protest was a "march for the future" for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain's 2016 Brexit referendum, when those who favoured leaving the EU won narrowly by 52 per cent. </s> The Latest: 'Over half a million' march for new Brexit vote

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on anti-Brexit protest Saturday in London (all times local):

Organizers of a major protest in London calling for a new Brexit referendum are estimating that 670,000 people have turned up for the event.

Activists want a fresh referendum in which Britons can have a say on the final Brexit deal.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined students, families, health workers and scores more for Saturday's march, which ended with a rally at Parliament Square.

Among the protesters was "Lord of the Rings" actor Andy Serkis, who said he believes there should be a second referendum "now that people are more informed" compared to 2016, when Britons voted to pull out of the EU.

He says "the will of the people doesn't have to stand still, it's not an immovable thing that is fixed."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has joined thousands of voters calling for a second Brexit referendum at a major demonstration.

Khan said Saturday's event was a "march for the future" for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain's 2016 EU membership referendum, when those who favor leaving the bloc won by 52 percent to 48 percent.

The mayor, from the opposition Labour Party, has previously backed mounting calls for a fresh referendum so that the public can have a say on whether they accept Conservative Party Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal or choose to stay in the EU.

He told the BBC that "what's clear is that the only options on the table now from the prime minister are a bad Brexit deal, or no deal whatsoever. That's a million miles away from what was promised two-and-a-half years ago."

Thousands of protesters are gathering in central London to call for a new referendum on Britain's departure from the European Union.

Organizers want the public to have a final say on the government's Brexit deal with the EU, arguing that new facts have come to light about the costs and complexity of Britain's exit from the bloc since Britons voted to leave in 2016.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan from the opposition Labour Party was among those set to address the People's Vote March on Saturday, which will culminate at a rally in Parliament Square.

Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations have been plagued by disagreements, particularly over the issue of the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border. </s> More than half a million people are holding a rally in Central London calling for a second referendum on a final Brexit deal. The 'march for the future' demonstration is looking to be one of the biggest protests in the capital in over a decade. It comes as the British government and the European Union Brexit negotiations stall.

ORGANISERS of a major protest in London calling for a new Brexit referendum are estimating that 670,000 people have turned up for the event.

Activists want a fresh referendum in which Britons can have a say on the final Brexit deal.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined students, families, health workers and scores more for Saturday’s march, which ended with a rally at Parliament Square.

Among the protesters was Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis, who said he believes there should be a second referendum “now that people are more informed” compared to 2016, when Britons voted to pull out of the EU.

He says “the will of the people doesn’t have to stand still, it’s not an immovable thing that is fixed.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Saturday’s event was a “march for the future” for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain’s 2016 EU membership referendum, when those who favour leaving the bloc won by 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

RELATED: Hundreds of thousands of Brits expected to march in London calling for People’s Vote on Brexit

The mayor, from the opposition Labour Party, has previously backed mounting calls for a fresh referendum so that the public can have a say on whether they accept Conservative Party Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal or choose to stay in the EU.

He told the BBC that “what’s clear is that the only options on the table now from the prime minister are a bad Brexit deal, or no deal whatsoever. That’s a million miles away from what was promised Two-and-a-half years ago.”

Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Organisers brought in some 150 buses to ferry thousands of activists from across the country to the British capital.

Those in favour of pulling Britain out of the EU won by 52 per cent in the 2016 EU membership referendum. Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations have been plagued by disagreements, particularly over the issue of the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border.

It will be the U.K.’s only land border with the EU after Brexit, for Ireland is part of the EU, and Northern Ireland is part of the U.K.

There are growing fears of a “no-deal” British exit, which could create chaos at the borders and in both the EU and the British economies.

May, speaking at an inconclusive EU summit in Brussels this week, said she would consider having a longer post-Brexit transition period — one that could keep Britain aligned to EU rules and obligations for more than two years after its March departure. Pro-Brexit politicians in Britain, however, saw it as an attempt to bind the country to the bloc indefinitely.

“This week’s fresh chaos and confusion over Brexit negotiations has exposed how even the best deal now available will be a bad one for Britain,” said Andrew Adonis, a Labour member of the House of Lords. “Voters will neither forgive nor forget if (politicians) allow this miserable Brexit to proceed without people being given the final say.”
Thousands of pro-European Union supporters of Open Britain, the European Movement and Britain for Europe demonstrate across the United Kingdom calling for a referendum on the final terms of the UK's planned exit from the European Union.