Angry scenes as police separate Leave and Remain protesters at
anti-Brexit rallies across Britain (and Eddie Izzard has his pink beret
knocked off)
- March for Europe launched to pressure Government to delay Article 50
- Protests in London, Birmingham, Oxford, Edinburgh and Cambridge
- Typically British scenes included gentleman in tweed waving a Union Flag
- And hundreds walked through rainy streets of Bristol during the protest
Thousands of pro-Europe protesters flooded Britain's cities today - leading to counter-demonstrations from Brexit voters.
In
typically British scenes, a man in tweed held a Union Flag aloft in
Parliament Square, while in Bristol hundreds trooped through the streets
under steady rain.
The
March for Europe was launched to ratchet up pressure on the Government
to delay activating Article 50, the formal process of leaving the EU.
Simultaneous
rallies supporting close economic, cultural and social links to Europe
have taken place in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford, and Cambridge.
In
London, Eddie Izzard's pink beret became the centre of police attention
after it was swiped off his head along with his yellow bag by a
protester in Whitehall.
Scroll down for video.
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Swipe: A man in black with half his
face covered, left, appears to take Eddie Izzard's hat and bag, as
police rush to Mr Izzard's side
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It's my bag! In this image, the man can be seen to hold a pink beret, which had been on Mr Izzard's head
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Apprehended: Police officers bundled the man to the floor at the March for Europe protest in London today
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Pinned: Above, several police officers hold down a man who appears to have taken a beret and a bag from Mr Izzard
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Operation: A police officer checks on his colleagues as several are needed to bundle one protester to the ground
The pro-EU campaigner chased the man down the street in high heels, as a police officer attempted to hold him back.
Police
grappled with the alleged thief, who was able to flee towards
Parliament Square. Izzard then retrieved the beret from the suspect, who
was dressed in black and had a bandanna covering half his face.
The
Labour-supporting entertainer later gave a speech to a crowd of several
thousand at the event, before his prize hat was taken away by police as
evidence.
The
comedian said: 'Somebody stole my hat. There were masked Brexit people,
dark glasses, masked, skull teeth across [the masks].
'There
was one guy, I was complaining about this to him, he went up and
snatched my beret - which has a British flag and an EU flag on - and he
marched off, he stole it.'
Izzard
said he 'jumped on him to get it back and then he struggled more',
saying that the police 'did fantastic, there was an inspector, some
other officers in there, they took him down'.
He
said: 'I got my beret back, but it's gone off as evidence - my beret is
now in evidence,' adding: 'I'm out, transgender for 31 years and if
anyone steals my pink beret, I'll get it back.'
The
Met Police confirmed they had arrested a 26-year-old man shortly before
1.10pm, adding he was 'from a group of around four men who attempted to
demonstrate against the march'.
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Rule Britannia: A protestor waves a Union flag as he chants during the rally in central London
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Heated: Two men go head to head as they fight Brexit versus pro European Union in London
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A very British protest: A man wearing
tweed holds up a Union flag and speaks into a loudspeaker while a rival
demonstrator waves an EU flag
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Unity in diversity: The March for
Europe was launched to ratchet up pressure on the Government to delay
activating the formal process of leaving the EU
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Stay in EU: A demonstrator a placard
bearing a pro-Europe slogan marches in the shadow of the Houses of
Parliament, where Brexit is due to be debated on Monday
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Point: Simultaneous protests rallying
support for keeping close economic, cultural and social links to Europe
are taking place in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford, and Cambridge
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Protest: Police officers form a cordon to seperate a pro-Europe anti-Brexit March for Europe from a pro-Brexit demonstration
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March: Mr Izzard (pictured centre with
human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell left) had his headwear stolen
near Downing Street by a man dressed in all black with a balaclava
covering half his face
Colourful: Mr Izzard lends his voice to those calling for Britain to stay in the EU
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Identity: Despite wearing high heels,
Mr Izzard gave furious chase as police caught the man and tore back his
beret while he was pinned to the floor
Campaigners
marched from Hyde Park and through Whitehall to the Houses of
Parliament, where a debate on whether a second EU referendum should take
place will be held on Monday.
It
comes after an online petition garnered more than four million
signatures after the vote to leave the EU in June, but an official
Government response to the campaign said the Brexit decision 'must be
respected'.
The demonstrations are also calling for greater public consultation on every stage of the Brexit negotiations.
A
sea of blue EU flags filled Parliament square shortly after 1pm, where
protesters sang along to The Beatles' hit Hey Jude, replacing the title
words instead with 'EU'.
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Tiring: A young supporter is carried through the march by her father who is draped in an EU flag during the protest
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Bark if you don't want Brexit: Some supporters took their dogs out with them as protests rallied across the country
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Protest in the rain: Crowds in Bristol
demonstrating; more than four million people signed a petition
demanding a second Brexit vote in June
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EU dress: A woman decked in EU flags walks in front of a pro-Europe demonstration in Bristol
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Numbers: A series of marches,
including this one in Bristol, took place in various cities by
supporters who back the UK remaining in the European Union
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Support: Holding umbrellas to protect them from the steady rain, pro-EU protesters walk through Bristol city centre
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Voice:
Protesters listens to speakers at an anti-Brexit rally in Bristol. There
will be a parliamentary debate about Brexit on Monday
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Time to leave: Campaigners marched from Hyde Park and through Whitehall to the Houses of Parliament
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Brexit backers: A man carrying an
anti-EU pro-Brexit placard joins a counter protest against pro-Europe
marchers in Parliament Square
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Europhiles: Pro-Europe protesters wrap themselves in EU flags to cover them from the rain in Bristol city centre
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We want another vote! People stand
with a banner and a dog as they gather for a March for Europe protest to
against the Brexit vote in London
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Superstar
support: Fancy dress and painted faces were everywhere at the rallies in
London. Left, an Elvis impersonator holds a banner, and centre, a woman
takes on a suffragette look. Right, a man calls for 'Open Britain',
with his face painted blue and a scarf on his head
NWN: The Pro -Europe gang led by that freak Izzard. The anti-Europe group looks to be led by Jez Turner carrying the Union Flag and of the LONDON FORUM .
