Protesters have taken to the streets in London for a “No to Boris. Yes to Europe” march days before Boris Johnson’s widely expected move into No 10.
A Johnson toddler blimp was launched in Parliament Square at 10am on Saturday, featuring salmon-pink skin, the politician’s trademark “faux-dishevelled hairstyle”, mismatched running gear and a Brexit-bus T-shirt, according to March for Change.
The singer Billy Bragg and presenter Sandi Toksvig are expected to join the march, which begins at noon in Park Lane and will make its way to Parliament Square.
Tom Brufatto, chair of Britain for Europe, said: “We will not allow Boris Johnson to float into No 10 on a favourable tailwind, or have the summer off, unopposed, after so much hot air on Brexit, with so much at stake.”
A 9ft representation of Nigel Farage also featured, courtesy of a stilt-walker holding puppet versions of Johnson and his Tory leadership rival, Jeremy Hunt, in a stunt organised by anti-Brexit campaigners Best for Britain.
Toksvig said she was taking part because she believed passionately in the European project. “Some of the enormous political issues we face today – the climate emergency, cybercrime, violence against women and girls – are truly global. We cannot fight them alone, and we cannot fight them outside of Europe.”
The feminist and co-founder of the Women’s Equality party said she was “also very worried about what a Boris Johnson premiership means for women in Britain”, with those electing him overwhelming male.
Bragg tweeted that he would be “singing a few songs” in Parliament Square as part of the demonstration.
Organisers said the march would “make it clear to Boris Johnson that we want to stop the Brexit chaos”.
“This is a national emergency. We won’t put up with a hard Brexit PM being imposed on the country and hurtling us towards the cliff edge. “We can only solve the big global challenges – from climate change to terrorism – by working with Europe and the rest of the world.
“We can build that better tomorrow through the most successful peace project in history. No to Boris. Yes to Europe.”
They said politicians had spent the last three years arguing about what Brexit looks like, while the issues that had led to Brexit had got worse.
The campaigner and writer Caroline Criado-Perez said: “Ever since the 2016 referendum, the real issues that face this country have been completely neglected. Our NHS crisis has worsened, schools are having to beg for stationery and we still don’t have nearly enough affordable housing.
“We don’t have time to indulge any more politicking. Westminster has spent three years arguing about what Brexit looks like. It’s time they focused on fixing Britain.
“And while the truth may have become unspeakable recently, the fact remains that we are stronger in Europe. We live in a globalised world and on everything from the climate emergency to transnational corporate tax dodging we have a better chance of addressing the issues we face if we stand together.”
Another rally, organised by campaigners from Another Europe is Possible, is taking place at Stanhope Gate, Mayfair. There will be speeches from Labour MPs including Clive Lewis and Kate Osamor, alongside MEPs, trade unionists and other leftwing campaigners.