Brighton anti-Brexit march draws in thousands of protestors

Pro-Europe groups from all over the country came together in Brighton on Sunday (September 24) to protest against Brexit.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Oct 2017, 11:55 BST
Updated 8th Jun 2018, 04:36 BST
Crowds gather at The LevelCrowds gather at The Level
Crowds gather at The Level

Congregating on the Level, Brighton and Hove for EU, No.10 Vigil for Europe, Canterbury for EU, Liverpool for EU, as well as a host of other groups brought around a thousand protesters to the march along the seafront.

David Williams, a protester from Bristol, said: “I don’t think one group organised it. We have all just come together to fight against something that is not right and not fair on everyone, especially the younger generations.”

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The march made its way past the Labour Party conference, being held at the Brighton Centre, down to Hove Lawns where a number of speakers, including MP Caroline Lucas and Labour spin-doctor Alistair Campbell, spoke to a 600-strong crowd.

Crowds gather at The LevelCrowds gather at The Level
Crowds gather at The Level

Ms Lucas said: “What a blessing it is to be able to live, love, study and work in the 22 other member states of the EU and we are fighting to keep that.

“I really hope the Labour Party leadership is listening to us, you cannot be against austerity and support the leave party.”

Led by a Boris Johnson impersonator, the protesting crowd were joined by a selection of other demoing groups outside Labour’s conference to voice their opinions on the party's support of leaving the single market.

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Mr Campbell said: “I voted Labour to stop May getting a Brexit referendum. I voted Labour to stay in the single market, not leave it. Cutting us off from the single market is self harm. We are complaining that we are letting too many people in but we are not letting our children out.

Marching past the Labour conferenceMarching past the Labour conference
Marching past the Labour conference

“Democracy isn’t a moment, it’s a process and so we need to keep our voices being heard.”

Hundreds of EU flags were carried by the rally, who also covered the city in anti-Brexit stickers and distributed pamphlets.

Speakers also included Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Brighton Kemptown Labour MP, and Elena Remigi, editor of In Limbo: Brexit Testimonies from EU citizens in the UK.

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Mrs Remigi said: “The aim of In Limbo is to show the human side to Brexit. This is a book about an unnecessary suffering but it is also a letter of love to a country we call home.”

Speeches were made at Hove LawnsSpeeches were made at Hove Lawns
Speeches were made at Hove Lawns

Brighton and Hove Liberal Democrats also joined the march, and Carrie Hynds, the Lib Dem candidate for the Hove and Portslade in June's election, said: “As we marched past, I felt sorry for the Labour delegates stuck in their stuffy, backwards-thinking conference hall. On a day when we were out celebrating our European spirit and calling for a democratic bookend to the Brexit debate, Labour members were told their party won’t be debating Brexit at its conference.”

Related topics:BrexitBrighton