Hundreds of young Brits gathered near the Houses of Parliament in London to voice their discontent with the results of the British referendum on exiting the European Union.
The organizers of the march with the provocative title ‘F**k Brexit Rally’ mobilized people to protest the referendum result and display how some feel politics has failed them. According to social media accounts, hundreds came to the rally, while thousands registered on Facebook for the event.
“This referendum's campaign descended into an absolute pantomime, and the result is terrifying,” the organizers wrote on Facebook, calling on people “to peacefully speak about people's feelings and opinions in the wake of a campaign and a result that has divided the country, on a subject that is unbelievably complex.”
Activists have been carrying posters that read ‘Unity is Strength’ and ‘Yes to EU’. Others had ‘Not In Our Name’ on the placards – a slogan organizers of the rally spread on Twitter ahead of the rally to draw in supporters.
Some posters target the former London mayor and Brexit campaigner, Boris Johnson , as people blame him for supporting the separation from the Union.
The majority of protesters are young Brits who voted to remain in the EU, or were too young to vote (minimum voting age in the referendum was 18). The young protesters are dissatisfied that the voting campaign didn’t give them enough information on the consequences of the vote and that the decision to leave was made for them, while they are “the ones who will have to live with it.”
Many activists voicing their concerns online state that being an EU-outsider could poorly affect their prospects in professional sphere and generally put their future in jeopardy.
The UK’s decision to leave the EU has literally split the country in half, with just 51.9 per cent of voters choosing to leave the bloc, while 48.1 per cent voted to stay.
London residents in particular voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU. Londoners came up with a petition signed by more than 75,000 people calling on the Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare the capital city an independent state and apply for EU membership.
The petition posted on change.org states: “London is an international city, and we want to remain at the heart of Europe […] Mayor Sadiq, wouldn't you prefer to be President Sadiq? Make it happen!”