Protesters in London call for another Brexit referendum amid Parliament delay
Photography by Daria Mosoleva
Daria Mosolova reports on the People’s Vote campaign march in central London, as Parliament votes in favour of another delay in the Brexit process.
On Saturday 19th October, over a million protesters stretched out from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament to speak out in favour of a People’s Vote on Brexit, in one of the largest demonstrations in British history.
Three years after the initial Brexit referendum, the new deal proposed by PM Boris Johnson is the UK Government’s fourth attempt to formulate the conditions under which Britain’s divorce from the European Union will take place. Having clinched the last-minute agreement with Brussel and determined for the deal to be passed through Parliament before the looming 31st October deadline, Johnson called an extraordinary parliamentary session on Saturday — which had not happened since the Falklands war in 1982.
His plans were derailed, however, by former Conservative rebel MP Oliver Letwin, who introduced an amendment obliging Parliament to withhold support for the new Brexit deal until formal ratification legislation had passed, a step that would likely compel Johnson to seek a delay until 31st January.
Photography by Zina Larbi
In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of Britons marched from Park Lane to Parliament Square to the sound of ‘Ode to Joy’ performed by street musicians, waving European flags and carrying mocking effigies of British politicians (such as the now-viral figure of ‘Demonic’ Cummings puppeteering a miniature Johnson). The streets of London saw the inclusivity of a multicultural gathering encompassing all ages and social spheres, as pro-European banners written in a multitude of languages blamed the Brexit debate for dividing the people.
Photography by Zina Larbi
The demands of the People’s Vote campaign were expressed by its organiser James McGrory, as he said that “this new deal bears no resemblance to what people were promised and so it is only right that the public deserve another chance to have their say.”
Photography by Daria Mosolova
As lawmakers voted on the Letwin amendment in the House of Commons, the rain-soaked protesters on the other side of the Parliament walls had their eyes glued to a large screen, live-streaming the outcome of the vote. The announcement that the amendment had passed by 322 votes to 306 aroused deafening cheering as the chant “we demand a People’s Vote” rippled through the crowd.
Photography by Daria Mosoleva
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell and Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson were among the politicians who joined the rally at Parliament Square, having left the House of Commons after the session was over. Also present was London mayor Sadiq Khan,the shadow cabinet members Keir Starmer, Diane Abbott and Emily Thornberry, as well as celebrities including Star Trek actor Sir Patrick Stewart and TV presenter Sandi Toksvig.
Tara Grace Connolly, the cofounder of Our Future, Our Choice: Northern Ireland rallied the crowd from the stage together with representatives of England, Scotland and Wales. “Northern Ireland is not a problem that needs to be fixed. Northern Ireland is my home,” said Connolly.
Photography by Daria Mosolova
The People’s Vote movement shared Whitehall with members of Extinction Rebellion, 50 pro-Catalan independence protesters, as well as Brexit supporters who stood on the margins of the march, separated from the crowd by a chain of police officers. While each new speaker was welcomed with cheering and whistling by the majority of protestors, a five-member group of Brexit supporters in the front row disrupted the unity by chanting slogans in praise of Boris Johnson. As Khan was publicly expressing his support for the second referendum, they exclaimed: “Why are you here instead of dealing with the knife crime?”
Photography by Daria Mosolova
The tension in the crowd drew near to a clash as one of the Brexiteers, angered by a verbal exchange with a pro-European demonstrator, addressed those standing near him: “Do you even know where I work? I could be knocking on his door someday,” while pointing a finger at his opposer. This ambiguous remark was cut short as a group of police officers approached the pro-Brexit demonstrators, after which they left the crowd. They left behind them a reminder that despite the inclusivity of Saturday’s demonstration, the British population is still profoundly divided on the grounds of the Brexit debate. The future of the country remains uncertain, bound to leave a portion of its citizens unsatisfied.