Opposition to Brexit
After the 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union, many people in the UK organized protests and campaigns to oppose Brexit or push for a second public vote. Here is a shorter, easier-to-read overview of the main events and groups.
In 2016, large pro-EU marches took place in London. The first March for Europe was on July 2, 2016, just after the referendum, with thousands of participants. A second March for Europe followed on September 3, 2016, also drawing thousands and including rallies in Edinburgh and Birmingham. Some pro-Brexit groups held counter‑protests along the route.
In 2017, the anti-Brexit movement continued to grow. The Unite for Europe march in London on March 25 was very large, with police estimating about 100,000 people. In July, The People’s March Ltd formed to help ensure a planned London march for September 9 went ahead; thousands joined a route from Hyde Park to Parliament Square with speeches from across the political spectrum. A broader wave of demonstrations, sometimes called “the Autumn of discontent,” included a mass rally and march under the banner Unite, Rethink, Reject Brexit, with tens of thousands marching.
Other major protests followed in 2017. The StopBrexit Manchester march on October 1 drew about 30,000 people and included a rally and a street party in central Manchester. On September 24, 2017, Leeds hosted StopBrexit Leeds, organized by Leeds for Europe, with thousands in attendance. Anti-Brexit protests also took place in Edinburgh, Ipswich, Exeter, and Newcastle on that day.
In 2018, the campaign continued to scale up. On June 23, 2018, the second anniversary of the referendum, the People’s Vote organized a march from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square in London. Organizers claimed at least 100,000 participants, while a smaller pro-Brexit march occurred the same day. September saw protests in Liverpool during the Labour Party conference and in Birmingham during the Conservative Party conference.
A key moment came on October 20, 2018, with The People’s Vote March for the Future. Organizers claimed up to 700,000 attendees, though police estimates were lower at about 250,000. The goal was to demand a public vote on the final Brexit deal and to argue that Brexit would not automatically improve the country. Several celebrities helped fund travel to London for attendees. If the organizers’ numbers were accurate, it would have been one of the largest protests in 21st‑century UK history.
In March 2019, The People’s Vote organized a third big march, Put It to the People, in London. The organizers said up to around a million people took part, while independent crowd estimates placed it in the 312,000–400,000 range. A subsequent anti-Brexit march happened on July 20, 2019, with the message “No to Boris, yes to Europe.” A fourth People’s Vote event, Let Us Be Heard, took place on October 19, 2019, timed to the Commons vote on the withdrawal agreement, again calling for a confirmatory referendum.
Across these years, various national groups worked together to coordinate the campaign. In March 2018, six national groups moved into a shared Remain office in Millbank Tower, London, to pool resources for campaigning. The People’s Vote campaign, launched in April 2018, brought together nine anti-Brexit groups, including Britain for Europe, the European Movement UK, Open Britain, and others. Other notable groups included Healthier In the EU, Our Future Our Choice (OFOC), Scientists for EU, and Right to Vote, along with Wooferendum, a pet-focused group that joined the movement.
These campaigns argued that Brexit would harm jobs, the NHS, science, and Britain’s future, and they pushed for a public vote on the final Brexit deal. The movement drew involvement from many politicians, scientists, and celebrities who voiced concerns about the impact of leaving the EU.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 03:38 (CET).