From posters and banners to fancy dress and flags, people from all over the UK unite to march for one purpose – The People’s Vote.

On October 20th, hundreds of thousands flocked to the streets of London to protest for a final say on Brexit. The march started at Park Lane, and the full scale of the event was evident as soon as we reached the train station. Everywhere you looked there were European flags and homemade placards. We were surrounded by people of all ages and backgrounds – each had come to have their voice heard.

There were people from Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Each nation proudly displaying their colours. There were scientists in their lab coats and goggles, and nurses and healthcare professionals carrying big posters reading “NHS vs. Brexit”.

There were MPs, celebrities, actors and famous chefs among the crowds. There were DJs blaring out their music, people singing into megaphones and thousands of men, women and children blowing their whistles.

The march started at noon but with the roads and pavements packed solid – our crowd had only moved a few centimetres by 1pm. People climbed onto walls to see if and when our section could move. By 1.30pm, we were growing restless. We decided that if we were going to go anywhere we had to go around and move forward. So, leaving the NHS staff and scientists behind - we adventured further ahead, passing even more colourful people as we went. Finally, we stopped at a group of protesters that were moving a lot quicker. Maybe it had something to do with the music – their DJ was playing “Dancing Queen” by ABBA.

We then moved through the streets of London, past shops and people watching from the pavements. We past some scaffolding and saw that people had climbed up onto the metal poles. There was a woman with a megaphone chanting slogans, many children and adults blew their whistles along to her chants and the air was filled with noise. 

What seemed like hours later, we reached Trafalgar Square, and here the crowds seemed to grow threefold. There were people everywhere, some perched on top of the lions, others stood on walls – the crowd was immense. We heard a band with drums march by. So, we followed. From Trafalgar Square, we headed towards parliament square. We marched past Downing Street, and noticed many people had left their posters and banners propped up on windowsills and against the walls – as if to say ‘Prime Minister look - we are here’.

Finally, our tired feet reached parliament square. There, thousands who were lucky enough to get there in time, listened to Chuka Umunna, Sadiq Khan, Vince Cable, Caroline Lucas and Anna Soubry call for a People’s Vote.

There was a group of people serving free rice and curry – a gesture much appreciated by the hungry protesters.

The March had been long and very tiring, but it was also a fantastic experience. The Spirit of the People Lives on, but who can say if anyone was listening?

Less than a month later it seems someone was, as major “Peoples Vote” campaigners held a rally on the 13th of November. They discussed the new Brexit agreement and wanted to have the final say.

Also, at our school we recently held Erasmus+ students from countries in Europe. They had discussions and debates and our local MP Ed Davey came and delivered a speech informing the students on what Brexit is all about. They made lots of big posters and art about Brexit. Overall, the students had a very enjoyable trip and we all wanted it to happen again.

"It was nice to meet new people and learn the different cultures and languages" - Cynthia, Erasmus Host