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Protesters calling for a referendum on the final Brexit deal are marching in London for what organisers say will be the "biggest, loudest and most important" demonstration of its kind. | |
They have gathered in Parliament Square, where a rally is being held. | |
Young voters have led the People's Vote march, which organisers say has attracted more than 600,000 people. | |
It is being held at the same time as a pro-Brexit rally in Harrogate, led by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage. | |
MPs from all the main political parties are supporting the demonstration in London calling for a fresh referendum - something which has already been ruled out by Prime Minister Theresa May. | |
The People's Vote campaign said stewards on the route estimated 670,000 were taking part. | |
Scotland Yard said it was not able to estimate the size of the crowd. | |
How will Parliament vote on a final deal? | |
People's Vote march in pictures | |
All you need to know about Brexit | |
Tories 'must be as united as EU' - Hunt | |
Image caption Thousands arrived at the meeting point on London's Park Lane for the march | |
Meanwhile, the pro-Brexit rally at Harrogate Convention Centre is the latest in a series of events organised by the group Leave Means Leave. | |
Mr Farage said: "The evidence suggests about a third of those that voted remain now say we're democrats and think the government should simply get on with it. | |
"And that's our message - get on with it, fulfil your promises to us, you said if we voted to leave it would happen, it needs to." | |
From the scene: BBC journalist Charlotte Gallagher | |
People were gathering on Park Lane for hours before the march even started. | |
Many held home-made signs and banners with slogans like "The wrexiteers", "Brexit stole my future" and "Even Baldrick had a plan". | |
There were lots of young families there, some with children wrapped in EU flags. Many told me they had gone because they were worried about their family's future. | |
Some people marched in groups. There were NHS staff, political parties, the LGBT community and dog owners. Many took the opportunity to dress up their pets for the protest. The start of the march was delayed due to the number of people there. As news and police helicopters circled, we set off just after 1pm instead of noon as expected. | |
It was a good-natured and friendly march through some of London's most famous streets, before the hundreds of thousands of people arrived at Parliament Square. | |
The British public voted to leave the EU by a margin of 51.89% to 48.11% in a referendum in June 2016. | |
The UK is scheduled to leave on 29 March 2019, under the terms of the two-year Article 50 process. | |
Image copyright Reuters | |
Image caption A young boy holding a sign proclaiming support for the EU | |
Labour's Lord Adonis, a campaigner for People's Vote - which wants a referendum on the outcome of the negotiations with the EU - said: "Brexit's becoming a dog's dinner. | |
"This week's fresh chaos and confusion over Brexit negotiations has exposed how even the best deal now available will be a bad one for Britain." | |
Image copyright AFP | |
Image copyright EPA | |
Image caption Signs included "we want our country back" and "ask me again" | |
Richard Tice, founder of Leave Means Leave and former co-chair of Leave.EU, told BBC Breakfast: "The idea that you should have a second referendum would be incredibly damaging - most of all to the trust in democracy from people up and down this country." | |
'Final say' | |
Some 150 coach loads of people from across the UK - including as far away from London as Orkney - travelled to the March for the Future, which started in Park Lane. | |
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan - who started the march - is among those to speak at Parliament Square, along with representatives from the main political parties. Celebrity speakers also include Steve Coogan, Delia Smith and Deborah Meaden. | |
Ms Smith said it was "the most important issue in our lifetime", adding: "My message to MPs is please sort this out. Let the people you serve have their say." | |
Lord of the Rings star Andy Serkis attended with his wife Lorraine Ashbourne and 14-year-old son Louis. | |
"The will of the people is now, it's people expressing their points of view in a more informed state," he said. | |
Media captionSadiq Khan on 'march for the future' | |
London Mayor Mr Khan said: "What's clear is that the only options on the table now from the prime minister are a bad Brexit deal, or no deal whatsoever. | |
"That's a million miles away from what was promised two-and-a-half years ago." | |
And First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon sent a message of support to the rally, saying the SNP would support a vote that would give the option of staying in the EU. | |
'Young stand to lose most' | |
#PeoplesVoteMarch was trending on Twitter on Saturday, with lots of young people - some of those who were not eligible to vote in the 2016 referendum - heading on the march. | |
Emily Longman, 20, one of the students leading the march behind a People's Vote banner, was four months too young to vote in the 2016 referendum. | |
She studies Spanish and is due to study abroad next year, but said "no-one knows what will happen with Erasmus funding". | |
Image caption Aleta Doyle and her son Leo travelled from Peterborough | |
Aleta Doyle, 46, from Peterborough, attending with her 12-year-old son Leo, said she was marching "for my children's future and European unity". | |
And Leo Buckley, 16, from Hampshire, said: "Young people stand to lose the most. I'm going to be poorer and not have the same career opportunities." | |
At the other end of the age spectrum, Joe Trickey from Croydon was celebrating his 83rd birthday at the march. He said: "I believe very strongly in the EU as a place of peace and strength." | |
'Small print' | |
Dr Mike Galsworthy, from NHS Against Brexit, told BBC News: "Whether you voted leave, or whether you voted remain - when a contract comes back, you do have the right to read the small print and say actually 'no, no. no, this isn't what we want to be signing up for'." | |
Campaign supporter Alastair Campbell, former Downing Street director of communications, said: "The Brexit that was promised, and the Brexit that was campaigned successfully for, doesn't exist." | |
He added: "I don't think you can re-run the referendum. I think we have to accept that we lost that debate. I think the question has to be on the nature of the deal." | |
Saturday's event follows a march in London in June, on the second anniversary of the Brexit vote. |
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