Protest demanding second Brexit referendum was largest in UK since 2003, with estimated crowd of more than 1 million

The organisers of Saturday’s march demanding a fresh EU referendum, estimated to have drawn a crowd of more than 1 million people, have told MPs that it was too big to ignore.

The Put it to the People protest was one of the biggest demonstrations in recent British history. Members of the People’s Vote campaign group, which coordinated it, have expressed confidence that it will prove to have not been in vain.

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Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion and a People’s Vote advocate, said on Sunday: “Marches matter and our protest yesterday, one of the greatest demonstrations Britain has ever seen, was simply too big for anyone to ignore.



“MPs returning to Westminster for crucial votes on Brexit this week should hear the echo of a million voices demanding that any final deal is put to the people.

“Indeed, the scale and passion of this People’s Vote march shows there is a vast well of support in Britain for a positive pro-European case.”

The demonstration was the largest since at least 2003, when crowds marched through London in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the Iraq war.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Green Party MP Caroline Lucas addressed anti-Brexit campaigners in Parliament Square. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

Despite the failure to change the course of history on that occasion, the organisers of Saturday’s march believe the demonstration 16 years ago left a legacy that MPs would be wise to heed.

A People’s Vote spokesman said: “We can talk about not stopping the Iraq war but it changed perceptions of politicians afterwards and people didn’t forget it. I think there is a clear message from the outcome of that march that if people ignore it they won’t be forgiven.”

The group is now determined to ensure that Theresa May’s Brexit deal is voted down and a majority within parliament is created for a second vote. Given the lack of agreement over what Brexit should actually entail, it believes a fresh referendum is a realistic prospect.

To that end, People’s Vote was heartened by Labour’s Keir Starmer saying on Sunday that any deal should be subject to a confirmatory referendum.

The European elections, due to take place on 23 May, have been presented as an obstacle to extending article 50 further but campaigners for a second referendum believe that they should not be used to impose an arbitrary deadline. Instead, they argue, it presents a further opportunity to make the pro-European case.

Play Video 6:17 'People’s vote' march: up close with anti-Brexit protesters at the 'biggest ever demo' – video

Lucas said: “Instead of running scared from fighting European elections, progressive politicians should be seeking a further extension of the Brexit deadline and preparing for an important democratic contest.

“It would, after all, be patently ridiculous if we ended up leaving the European Union with a disastrous Brexit simply because MPs were frightened of fighting European elections.”

The scale of Saturday’s march was such that mobile phone networks jammed and many people barely moved as the crowd exceeded expectations, organisers said.

Senior politicians from all major parties joined the march, including the first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon. On Sunday she told the BBC One’s Andrew Marr show that a second referendum was the only way to end the impasse in parliament.

“The government has failed, absolutely failed to deliver on the results of the 2016 referendum,” she said. “They have no credible way forward now and when parliament and government fail, then it seems to me the only sensible thing to do is put the people back in charge.”