The numbers were provided by People’s Vote UK, the organisers of the march
An estimated one million protesters marched through London on Saturday evening in the biggest protest seen in the United Kingdom since the Iraq War in 2003.
Hundreds of thousands had been expected to be in attendance, but at roughly 2.30pm – just hours after the march had begun – the organisers tweeted a message stating that as many as a million had taken part.
The People’s Vote March, also known as the Put It To The People March, marched from Park Lane to Parliament Square, where a rally was held later in the afternoon.
Organisers say there are more than 1 million people here at the #PeoplesVoteMarch pic.twitter.com/aRC0giHupx
— Oli Dugmore (@OliDugmore) March 23, 2019
Once there, attendees listened to a number of speakers including Labour MP David Lammy, radio presenter James O’Brien and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.
Speaking to JOE at Parliament Square, O’Brien said that he had no “ill will” towards those who had voted to leave the EU, but questioned the wisdom of those still in favour of doing so despite knowing the economic impact it will have on the UK.
“We’re on the highway to hell.” Pro-EU cyclists in convoy blasting out the tunes #PeoplesVoteMarch pic.twitter.com/wVb969auXN
— Rich Cooper (@richcooper) March 23, 2019
“I have absolutely no ill feelings or ill will towards people who voted to leave the European Union. There’s an astonishingly long list of reasons they were given to do it. Astonishingly long list,” he said.
“But none of it has turned out to be true. I don’t think that people that said things about what our trading arrangement would be were necessarily lying. I think some of them were just wrong.
“You have to ask the question again. Nobody votes to leave without having some inkling of where they’re going.”@mrjamesob on why Britain needs a second referendum #PeoplesVoteMarch pic.twitter.com/Lek2Kqfc3W
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) March 23, 2019
“I think some of the things they said might have come true or would come true, perhaps in a different set of circumstances could have come true. But the simple fact is that they have not come true.
“And that means you have to ask the question again. Nobody votes to leave without having some inkling of what they’re doing. And now what they’re doing, the usual suspects are trying to portray the Leave vote as a vote by people with their eyes shut, wilfully and willingly walking off into the complete unknown.”
Your move @Jacob_Rees_Mogg https://t.co/teMBmxekFN
— Brian Whelan (@brianwhelanhack) March 23, 2019
Labour deputy Tom Watson also spoke in Parliament Square, and tweeted shortly afterward: “The Prime Minister claims she speaks for Britain.
“Well, have a look out of the window, Prime Minister. Open your curtains. Switch on your TV. Look at this great crowd today. Here are the people.
“Theresa May: you don’t speak for us. Put It To The People.”
The Prime Minister claims she speaks for Britain. Well, have a look out of the window Prime Minister. Open your curtains. Switch on your TV. Look at this great crowd today. Here are the people. Theresa May: you don’t speak for us. #PutItToThePeople pic.twitter.com/wnKOrtmoO8
— Tom Watson (@tom_watson) March 23, 2019
Saturday’s march was attended by people of all ages, with children, teenagers, the middle aged and the elderly all out in force to call on Theresa May’s government to put the future of the United Kingdom back in the hands of the people in the form of a second Brexit referendum.
Indeed, such was the size of the crowd in attendance that social media users quickly began making comparisons between Saturday’s march and the Leave Means Leave march – organised by Nigel Farage – which appeared to attract fewer than a thousand people when it set out from Sunderland to London March 16.
Who wore it better? #PeoplesVoteMarch #PeoplesMarch #PutItToThePeople pic.twitter.com/YzkeSEPxA7
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) March 23, 2019
Oh wow can't believe all these people are bots from abroad.#PeoplesMarch #RevokeArticle50 #PutItToThePeople pic.twitter.com/sUviBThRC2
— Ben Gilbert (@BenGBT) March 23, 2019
Remember the bar has been set pretty high for Brexit marches. Can today's #PeoplesMarch possibly beat this outpouring of support for leaving? pic.twitter.com/ImtjTTpLYU
— Tom Jamieson (@jamiesont) March 23, 2019
As the crowds marched from Park Lane to Parliament Square, an online petition calling for the revocation of Article 50 continues to grow in number.
At the time of publication, the petition, entitled “Revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU” had 4.45 million signatures.
