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Britons from France marched on behalf of The 5 Million
AROUND 500 British people living in other parts of the EU and European citizens living in the UK marched together representing “The Five Million” in the London People’s Vote march.
They included around 200 from Remain In France Together (RIFT) – and 1,000 other members asked to have their names on banners and T-shirts in support, said RIFT founder Kalba Meadows.
“Most of us couldn't vote in the referendum that turned our lives upside down and has seen us living in limbo for over 850 days,” she said. “We came together to demand a vote for all of us in any second referendum. But we also came together to publicly acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable collaboration and friendship between us that we've maintained all the way through the negotiations and which gets stronger all the time.
“We began the day with a joint rally at Speaker's Corner before joining the main march together. It was an extraordinary and uplifting day for all of us. The atmosphere was highly positive and totally pro-European and gave us all a much needed boost to our campaigning energy.”
RIFT and other groups in the British in Europe coalition will be back in London again on November 5 for The Last Mile campaign (britishineurope.org/thelastmile). “We and the3million will be forming a human chain from Parliament Square to Downing Street, where we will deliver a letter from both our groups to Theresa May to demand that our citizens’ rights be ring-fenced and the withdrawal agreement strengthened to cover all our rights. We'll be following that up with a mass lobby of Parliament on the same afternoon. The fight goes on.”
British in Europe spokeswoman Laura Shields said it is now clear that any Brexit, “whether a botched deal or, worse, no deal”, would be “very damaging, if not catastrophic” for Britons in the EU, which is “why it is essential we we not only have a People’s Vote but that all Brits, including those who are disenfranchised by the 15 year rule, have the right to a final say on their own future.”
She added: “With Whitehall reportedly scoping out the viability of a fresh referendum, the next few weeks are crucial.
“Brits living in on the continent, including those who can no longer vote, should write to their MP showing their support for a People’s Vote and demanding their right to a vote. The more people who do this the better. We may have been gagged in 2016 but this time we’re determined to have our say.”
Ms Shields added there is a suggested letter template at peoples-vote.uk/write_this_wrong “however the key things is that an option to remain has to be included,” she said.
A bill to give the vote back to disenfranchised Britons is debated again on Wednesday as the 'committee stage' continues in the House of Commons.
- The November edition of The Connexion newspaper, out next week, will have two pages of Brexit news.
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