EU Expats And Brits Join Hands In London Protest

In addition to the call for a second referendum, expatriates living and working in the UK are now adding their total disapproval of the prospect of a Boris premiership to their protests.

Last Saturday’s central London march took the message ‘No to Boris, yes to Europe’ to its heart, with protestors costumed as Johnson, faces painted with EU flags and one protestor playing the bagpipes. The goal of the Peoples’ Vote campaign was displayed everywhere by the thousands of marchers, even although many seemed to be unclear about the actual goal of the protest.

For many, the event felt like a remain campaign march, with protestors telling the media what’s needed is a strong Remain statement as in a second referendum, as it’s now impossible to know what people actually want. Contrasting views ranged from the need for a Remain-based government to the possibility of a second Peoples’ Vote, not necessarily for Remain but based on evidence of the harm leaving the EU will cause to both expats in the UK and the British economy itself. Others saw the march as simply anti-Johnson and therefore anti-Brexit, saying there’s no doubt about the focus of the protest.

Speakers at the start of the event emphasised the Boris issue, saying the man is ‘infantile’ and adding the EU is bigger than one individual who’s clearly unfit to lead. Another speaker, Remain campaigner Femi Oluwole, said it’s understood why those growing up in one of the UK’s forgotten towns would believe leaving the EU was the answer and vote for much-needed change. He emphasised that the ‘first past the post’ nature of UK elections is not longer the answer, as Britain needs to be given the chance to be great again.