There were chaotic scenes as a march led by Nigel Farage left Sunderland to protest against perceived attempts to betray the will of the people over Brexit.

Farage and around 100 followers set off on the first leg of their 200-mile journey to London on Saturday. Marchers chanted: “We’re marching for our freedom,” and some described Farage as a great statesman and a fantastic leader.

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“The will of the people is very clear,” Farage told them. “If you see what has been happening in parliament this week, we may well not be leaving the EU. If politicians think they can walk all over us, then we’re going to march back and tell them they can’t. Simple as that.”

The former Ukip leader has already indicated that he will not be marching all the way with them, according to Sky News.

The 14-day March to Leave, organised by the Leave Means Leave campaign, is due to arrive in the capital on 29 March, the scheduled date for the UK to leave the EU, for a mass rally in Parliament Square.

The march’s website states: “It is now clear the Westminster elite are preparing to betray the will of the people over Brexit. To counter this, Leave Means Leave are undertaking a peaceful protest to demonstrate the depth and breadth of popular discontent with the way Brexit has been handled.”

Marchers gathered in the rain from the early morning for the first leg, which will take them 20 miles to Hartlepool. As Farage arrived he was met by a large group of reporters and TV crews.

A row soon broke out with counter-protesters who turned up carrying red love hearts with messages including “we love workers’ rights” and “we love to have a say”. One set off blue and yellow flares , the colours of the EU, as protesters chanted “exit Brexit”.

Marchers responded by shouting “EU money grabbers”, and one man waved a fake blue passport at the counter protesters.

It is understood that two advertising vans, made by the grassroots anti-Brexit campaign Led By Donkeys, will also be following the march.

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Barry Lockey, who arrived in Sunderland carrying a flag with the message “Get Britain out: Time to leave the EU”, said that the event was about supporting democracy. “The democracy in the parliament building has been spot on. They’ve got their no-deal taken off the table by four votes,” he said.

Lockey pointed out that this margin was much smaller than the 4% margin of victory during the EU referendum, which he said was now being discredited. “I’m sorry, but that really riles me. And they’re not going to get away with it.”

In contrast, one counter-protester told the Press Association: “It’s going to be a disaster if we leave.” Frank Hindle, 66, said: “We’re here to point out that not everybody agrees with this crowd, who think it’s going to be wonderful if we leave.”

After arriving in Hartlepool, the marchers will move on to Middlesbrough on Sunday. The campaign’s website says tickets to be “core marchers”, who paid £50 for overnight accommodation, breakfast and dinner for the duration of the 14-day event, have sold out.