Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Aerial footage shows crowds covering roads in the city centre

Protesters seeking a referendum on the final Brexit deal have attended a rally which organisers say was the biggest demonstration of its kind.

Young voters led the People's Vote march to London's Parliament Square, which supporters say attracted approximately 700,000 protesters.

It also had support from a number of MPs who want a fresh vote.

This is something which has already been ruled out by Prime Minister Theresa May.

The People's Vote campaign said stewards on the route estimated 700,000 were taking part.

The Metropolitan Police said it was not able to estimate the size of the crowd.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan - who started the march - was among those who addressed Parliament Square, along with representatives from the main political parties. Celebrity speakers included Steve Coogan, Delia Smith and Deborah Meaden.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sadiq Khan on 'march for the future'

London Mayor Mr Khan told the crowd: "What's really important is that those that say that a public vote is undemocratic, is unpatriotic, realise that in fact, the exact opposite is the truth.

"What could be more democratic, what could be more British, than trusting the judgement of the British people."

Image caption Thousands arrived at the meeting point on London's Park Lane for the march

The march was held at the same time as a pro-Brexit rally in Harrogate, organised by the group Leave Means Leave and led by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

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 gathered on Park Lane for hours before the march. Many held home-made signs and banners with slogans like "the wrexiteers", "Brexit stole my future" and "Even Baldrick had a plan".

As the crowds began to form, the sheer scale of the protest became clear. Thousands of people stretched filled the street, some were singing, others were playing instruments, while many plastic whistles blared out.

There were lots of young families there, some with children wrapped in EU flags. Many told me they'd gone because they were worried about their families' future.

Some people marched in groups - there were NHS staff, political parties, members of 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. 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.

By that stage the march was so large that not everyone could fit in the square and demonstrators spilled out onto nearby streets.

The marchers are hoping people power will persuade the British government to hold a referendum on the final Brexit deal. They will have to wait and see if the government was listening.

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.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Protesters explain why they joined the People's Vote march to London's Parliament Square

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 Reuters Image caption A young boy holding a sign proclaiming support for the EU

Image copyright AFP

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.

TV chef Delia Smith told the crowds that Brexit 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."

Image copyright PA Image caption Delia Smith addressed anti-Brexit campaigners at the rally

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.

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, who attended 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 celebrated 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 followed a march in London in June, on the second anniversary of the Brexit vote.</s>(Bloomberg)—People from across the U.K. gathered on a sunny Saturday afternoon in London to take part in what may be the biggest public protest over Brexit since the referendum in 2016.

The march, which organizers said drew more than 600,000 to west London’s Park Lane, was called by People’s Vote, a group that’s campaigning for the the public to have a say on any final Brexit deal to prevent the ruling Conservative government from forcing it through Parliament.

A summit of European Union leaders in Brussels this week, which had been slated to be the meeting at which an exit agreement would be struck, instead ended with major hurdles still to be overcome. As the March 29, 2019 deadline when Britain officially leaves the EU draws ever closer, the twists and turns in negotiations have the general public divided, investors and businesses anxious and the volatile pound weaker.

“Some of the promises made two years ago, clearly have not materialized,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in comments posted on the group’s website before the rally. “Nobody was talking about a bad Brexit deal, nobody was talking about no deal whatsoever. The British public should have a say on whether they accept the outcome of those negotiations, with the option of staying in the EU.”

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Khan and Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable were among those due to speak at a rally across the street from the Houses of Parliament as the march wound its way through the capital.

Irish Border Dilemma

The U.K. and EU have missed several deadlines to forge a divorce agreement, reinforcing the stance of so-called hard Brexiteers who argue that crashing out of the EU without a deal is preferable to yielding to the bloc’s demands. Pro-EU campaigners argue that the British public has been misled with false promises, and that a hard Brexit will leave everyone worse off.

The negotiations so far have been “full of incompetence by the British government,” said one protester, Julie Sirvent, 35, a French national who works in oil and gas project management and has lived in the U.K. since 2014. “It’s been appalling how badly it’s being handled. I think I am at the point that anything I can do, so that the people have the final say, I will do it.”

Prime Minister May is now said to be ready to drop one of her key Brexit demands on the contentious issue of the Irish border to clear the path to a deal, according to people familiar with the matter.

London’s Fight to Remain a Financial Hub After Brexit: QuickTake

Until now, May has insisted that a legal guarantee to ensure no new border emerges on the island of Ireland should be strictly limited in time, to avoid delaying the U.K.’s departure and to ensure the country is free from EU customs rules to strike its own trade deals.

But the EU has rejected her stance and talks have been stuck for months, and now May and her team of Brexit advisers accept the EU’s point that it must be open-ended, for an “enduring” solution, one of the people said. The proposal is for the whole U.K. to stay tied to EU customs rules as a so-called backstop — or guarantee clause.

While the proposal may be welcomed by the EU and businesses, May’s compromise may mean that Britain would end up bound indefinitely to the EU’s customs rules, which could spark a revolt within May’s own cabinet and throw her political future into doubt.

Contact us at editors@time.com.</s>LONDON/BELFAST – Hundreds of thousands of supporters of the European Union marched through London on Saturday in the biggest demonstration so far to demand that the British government holds a public vote on the terms of Brexit.

The protesters waved the blue and gold flag of the EU and held up “Bollocks to Brexit” banners under sunny skies to call for another referendum on the eventual deal on how Britain will leave the world’s biggest trading bloc.

The march comes after another tumultuous week for Prime Minister Theresa May in which she failed to agree a divorce deal with EU leaders in Brussels and infuriated members of her own party by making further concessions in the talks.

With just over five months until Britain is due to leave there is no clarity about what a future trade deal with the EU will look like and some rebels in May’s Conservative Party have threatened to vote down a deal if she clinches one.

James McGrory, one of the organisers of the march, said voters should have the chance to change their minds because the decision will impact their lives for generations.

“People think the Brexit negotiations are a total mess, they have no faith in the government to deliver the promises that were made, partly because they cannot be delivered,” he said.

At the march, demonstrators carried placards saying “Brexit is pants”, “Time for an EU turn” and “European and proud.”

Organisers said about 700,000 people took part in the march, which would make it the largest in Britain since a demonstration against the Iraq war in 2003.

The “People’s Vote” campaign, which includes several pro-EU groups, said they had stewards stationed at regular intervals to estimate the size of the crowd. The police did not provide an independent estimate of numbers participating.

Protesters originally gathered near Hyde Park and then walked past Downing Street and finished outside parliament where they listened to politicians from all main political parties.

Britain’s 2016 referendum saw 52 percent vote in favour of leaving the European Union. But the past two years have been politically fraught as the government has struggled to agree on a plan and there are fears that Britain could leave the bloc without a deal.

Some opinion polls have shown a slight shift in favour of remaining in the European Union, but there has yet to be a decisive change in attitudes and many in Britain say they have become increasingly bored by Brexit.

The prime minister has repeatedly ruled out holding a second referendum. The opposition Labour party’s Brexit spokesman said last month his party open to a second referendum with the option of staying in the bloc in certain circumstances.

In Belfast in Northern Ireland, around 2,000 people gathered on Saturday to oppose Brexit.

Brendan Heading, a 39-year-old IT worker, said he was worried the decision to leave the EU would damage the economy and could lead to the break up of the United Kingdom.

“I feel that Brexit threatens prosperity and stability,” he said. “People should have the opportunity to vote for an alternative based on what we now know.”

Brexit supporters held their own rally in the town of Harrogate in the north of England.

Richard Tice, Vice-Chairman of Leave Means Leave and one of the speakers at the event, described the people on the march in London as “losers” and said a second referendum would trigger a constitutional crisis.

“We had a vote, we voted to leave, the idea to have a second referendum would be incredibly damaging,” he said.

“People need to be under no illusions as to how people feel about what is a significant potential for a total betrayal of democracy in this country.”</s>Thousands of people turned out for a People's Vote march in London on Saturday to demand a referendum on the final Brexit deal struck by the UK government with the European Union (EU).

The campaign, 'March for the Future', from Park Lane to Parliament Square was dubbed by the organisers, Open Britain, as the "biggest, loudest and most important" demonstration on Britain's future.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has repeatedly ruled out the prospect of another referendum, saying that the people had already expressed their views in the June 2016 referendum – when the British public voted to leave the EU by a margin of 51.89 per cent to 48.11 per cent.

But the organisers say that "Brexit negotiations are taking us towards a future that nobody voted for".

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is among some of the prominent politicians to throw their support behind the People's Vote campaign, which is demanding a vote on the final deal with the European Union in the form a fresh referendum.

He 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. In those circumstances, what we demand is that the British public gets a say in whether they accept the outcome of the negotiations, which could be a bad Brexit deal, it could be no deal, with the option of staying in the European Union," Khan added.

Protestors waving placards such as "Breverse", "Exit This Brexit" and "We Want EU" and shouting anti-Brexit slogans marched through central London to gather at the Parliament Square for a rally.

Around 150 bus-loads of people from across the UK reportedly travelled from far and wide for the Saturday's march and rally.

The hashtag #PeoplesVoteMarch began trending on the social media site Twitter as the numbers kept growing through the day.

"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," opposition Labour Party leader Lord Adonis, one of the supporters of the People's Vote campaign, said.

"It's a mess that nobody voted for and the reason we are in such a growing crisis is that those cheerleading for Brexit know the promises they made can never be kept," he said.

"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," Richard Tice, founder of the opposing Leave Means Leave campaign, said.

The march comes as the Brexit negotiations hit a major hurdle earlier this week, with the British premier indicating that the post-Brexit transition period may have to be extended to achieve a deal with the EU over contentious issues such as keeping an open border between non-member UK territory Northern Ireland and EU member-state Ireland.

It has caused further turmoil and growing anger within the ruling Conservative Party ranks, with most pro-Brexit ministers opposed to any such extension.

The UK is scheduled to formally leave the EU on March 29, 2019, under the terms of the two-year Article 50 process. The current plan is for a transition period of 21 months to run until December 2021 to smooth the path from Brexit to the UK and EU's future trading relationship.</s>More than half a million people are holding a rally in Central London calling for a second referendum on a final Brexit deal. The 'march for the future' demonstration is looking to be one of the biggest protests in the capital in over a decade. It comes as the British government and the European Union Brexit negotiations stall.

ORGANISERS of a major protest in London calling for a new Brexit referendum are estimating that 670,000 people have turned up for the event.

Activists want a fresh referendum in which Britons can have a say on the final Brexit deal.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined students, families, health workers and scores more for Saturday’s march, which ended with a rally at Parliament Square.

Among the protesters was Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis, who said he believes there should be a second referendum “now that people are more informed” compared to 2016, when Britons voted to pull out of the EU.

He says “the will of the people doesn’t have to stand still, it’s not an immovable thing that is fixed.”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Saturday’s event was a “march for the future” for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain’s 2016 EU membership referendum, when those who favour leaving the bloc won by 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

RELATED: Hundreds of thousands of Brits expected to march in London calling for People’s Vote on Brexit

The mayor, from the opposition Labour Party, has previously backed mounting calls for a fresh referendum so that the public can have a say on whether they accept Conservative Party Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal or choose to stay in the EU.

He told the BBC that “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.”

Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Organisers brought in some 150 buses to ferry thousands of activists from across the country to the British capital.

Those in favour of pulling Britain out of the EU won by 52 per cent in the 2016 EU membership referendum. Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations have been plagued by disagreements, particularly over the issue of the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border.

It will be the U.K.’s only land border with the EU after Brexit, for Ireland is part of the EU, and Northern Ireland is part of the U.K.

There are growing fears of a “no-deal” British exit, which could create chaos at the borders and in both the EU and the British economies.

May, speaking at an inconclusive EU summit in Brussels this week, said she would consider having a longer post-Brexit transition period — one that could keep Britain aligned to EU rules and obligations for more than two years after its March departure. Pro-Brexit politicians in Britain, however, saw it as an attempt to bind the country to the bloc indefinitely.

“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,” said Andrew Adonis, a Labour member of the House of Lords. “Voters will neither forgive nor forget if (politicians) allow this miserable Brexit to proceed without people being given the final say.”</s>LONDON (AP) - Anti-Brexit protesters are gathering in central London for a demonstration calling for a second referendum on Britain's exit from the European Union.

Around 150 buses are ferrying thousands of protesters from across the country to the British capital. The march will begin at noon (1100 GMT) and will be followed by a rally in Parliament Square.

Andrew Adonis, a Labour member of the House of Lords, said: "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 ... Voters will neither forgive nor forget if (lawmakers) allow this miserable Brexit to proceed without people being given the final say."

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations have been plagued by disagreements.

British Prime Minister Theresa May walks off the podium after a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018. EU leaders met for a second day on Thursday to discuss migration, cybersecurity and to try and move ahead on stalled Brexit talks. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)</s>LONDON (AP) - The Latest on anti-Brexit protest Saturday in London (all times local):

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has joined thousands of voters calling for a second Brexit referendum at a major demonstration.

Khan said Saturday's event was a "march for the future" for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain's 2016 EU membership referendum, when those who favor leaving the bloc won by 52 percent to 48 percent.

The mayor, from the opposition Labour Party, has previously backed mounting calls for a fresh referendum so that the public can have a say on whether they accept Conservative Party Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal or choose to stay in the EU.

He told the BBC that "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."

Thousands of protesters are gathering in central London to call for a new referendum on Britain's departure from the European Union.

Organizers want the public to have a final say on the government's Brexit deal with the EU, arguing that new facts have come to light about the costs and complexity of Britain's exit from the bloc since Britons voted to leave in 2016.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan from the opposition Labour Party was among those set to address the People's Vote March on Saturday, which will culminate at a rally in Parliament Square.

Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations have been plagued by disagreements, particularly over the issue of the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border.</s>The Latest: 'Over half a million' march for new Brexit vote

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on anti-Brexit protest Saturday in London (all times local):

Organizers of a major protest in London calling for a new Brexit referendum are estimating that 670,000 people have turned up for the event.

Activists want a fresh referendum in which Britons can have a say on the final Brexit deal.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan joined students, families, health workers and scores more for Saturday's march, which ended with a rally at Parliament Square.

Among the protesters was "Lord of the Rings" actor Andy Serkis, who said he believes there should be a second referendum "now that people are more informed" compared to 2016, when Britons voted to pull out of the EU.

He says "the will of the people doesn't have to stand still, it's not an immovable thing that is fixed."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has joined thousands of voters calling for a second Brexit referendum at a major demonstration.

Khan said Saturday's event was a "march for the future" for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain's 2016 EU membership referendum, when those who favor leaving the bloc won by 52 percent to 48 percent.

The mayor, from the opposition Labour Party, has previously backed mounting calls for a fresh referendum so that the public can have a say on whether they accept Conservative Party Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal or choose to stay in the EU.

He told the BBC that "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."

Thousands of protesters are gathering in central London to call for a new referendum on Britain's departure from the European Union.

Organizers want the public to have a final say on the government's Brexit deal with the EU, arguing that new facts have come to light about the costs and complexity of Britain's exit from the bloc since Britons voted to leave in 2016.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan from the opposition Labour Party was among those set to address the People's Vote March on Saturday, which will culminate at a rally in Parliament Square.

Prime Minister Theresa May of the Conservative Party has ruled out another public vote on the subject.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, but negotiations have been plagued by disagreements, particularly over the issue of the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland border.</s>Tens of thousands rally in London for new Brexit vote

LONDON: Tens of thousands of people opposed to Britain´s looming breakup with the EU rallied in the heart of London on Saturday, according to organisers, in the latest bid to try and stop Brexit.

The march on parliament began as a noisy and festive affair, uniting a giant crowd in the seemingly hopeless task of convincing Prime Minister Theresa May to hold a second referendum.

Even dogs came along. Organisers of the so-called People´s Vote March had asked people to dress up their favourite pets in costumes for the march along the scenic route from Hyde Park to Westminster Palace under clear blue skies.

But the message itself is serious: the type of Brexit its supporters promised ahead of the June 2016 referendum, which set the divorce in motion, looks nothing like the one being negotiated today.

Protesters say they would have voted differently had they known the true costs involved. "I think people were misled in various ways," small business owner Peter Hancock told AFP while tightening an EU flag around the neck of his huge bearded collie.

"We want to stay European," added his wheelchair-bound wife Julie. "We can´t really see any benefits of leaving, can we, at all."

An online petition demanding a binding vote on any deal agreed before the March deadline has been signed almost 950,000 times by the time the march kicked off.

May has made it abundantly clear that she has no intention of allowing a Brexit do-over. "They now want a second referendum to go back to the British people and say ´Oh, we´re terribly sorry -- we think you´ve got it wrong,´" she told parliament on Wednesday. "There´ll be no second referendum. The people voted and this government will deliver on it."

But with negotiations between London and Brussels deadlocked, it remains unclear what deal, if any, her government can deliver.

As Britain´s planned departure in March next year draws closer it faces the prospect of leaving without any agreement, or remaining in a transition phase for several years with few changes but notably losing its decision-making seat at the EU.

Neither choice is appealing. Recriminations over how Britain got here are leaving May looking increasingly isolated and weak. And European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron are openly wondering if a second British vote might yet make the mess go away.

Polls show support for a second referendum evenly split -- the same as with Brexit itself. The 2016 Brexit poll was backed by 52 percent of voters on turnout of 72 percent. But some think MPs may rally around another poll at the last moment to avert complete chaos once they see what Britain might be forced to sign up to -- and they must approve.

The last big march on parliament demanding a second vote in June saw an estimated 100,000 gather on and around the picturesque Parliament Square facing Westminster Palace. Organisers expect this one will be bigger and involve supporters of all major parties from every corner of Britain -- and beyond.</s>London: Hundreds of thousands of protesters opposed to Britain's impending exit from the European Union marched through central London on Saturday, demanding a new referendum and to have a say on the government's final Brexit deal with the EU.

Organisers say another public vote is needed because new facts have come out about the costs and complexity of Britain's exit from the bloc since voters chose to leave in 2016.

They estimated that some 700,000 people took part Saturday in the "People's Vote March," which saw 150 buses of marchers pour into the British capital from all across the country. Police did not provide an attendance estimate.

"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," London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who joined the march, told the BBC. "That's a million miles away from what was promised 2 1/2 years ago."

Khan said Saturday's protest was a "march for the future" for young Britons, including those who were too young to vote in Britain's 2016 Brexit referendum, when those who favoured leaving the EU won narrowly by 52 per cent.
More than 600,000 people gather at Parliament Square in London as protesters from the People's Vote campaign call for a second Brexit referendum deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union.