RogerBW's Blog

Marching in London 25 March 2019

I went along to the march on Saturday, not because I think it will help, but because I'd have felt bad if I hadn't.

I was with several friends; rather than start on Park Lane, we arrived at Piccadilly Circus and walked down to the top of St James's Street.

After about 90 minutes, we got into a gap and moved off down St James's Street. (A friend's group was still in Park Lane; after several hours, they went round to The Mall by other routes, and ended up in St James's Park.)

Trafalgar Square was an informal break-point.

We continued down Whitehall to Parliament Square.

The only police I saw were a few right on the edges, monitoring the road closures. Absolutely nothing like the anti-war march in 2003, where they were turned out in quite large numbers (though very friendly). There were no barriers this time either, and people were joining and leaving wherever they felt like it.

A pint of Broken Dream seemed like an appropriate way to finish the day.

I don't think this will have any direct effect. It may remind some MPs that there are votes to be had in not blindly following the government line, but the party system makes it extremely difficult for an MP to act on principle even if they have the inclination to do so.


  1. Posted by Ashley R Pollard at 01:49pm on 25 March 2019

    I assume you've signed the petition?

    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/241584

    I'm remaining hopeful that TPTB will revoke Article 50; maybe a forlorn hope, but the alternative is deep despair.

  2. Posted by RogerBW at 01:59pm on 25 March 2019

    I have been despairing for several years now. One of the things I find noticeable about this particular political rubbish fire, unlike previous ones I've lived through, is how drawn-out it all is.

    If the petition has any positive effect, it'll be the same as for the march: to remind MPs that there are votes they'll lose by following the party line.

  3. Posted by Dr Bob at 02:23pm on 25 March 2019

    Top marks to the person with the Baldrick placard!

  4. Posted by John Dallman at 09:51pm on 25 March 2019

    Going would have been the right thing to do, but I was exhausted. I donated them a reasonable sum two weeks ago, and settled for that.

  5. Posted by Chris Suslowicz at 05:55pm on 27 March 2019

    I would have gone, except that I was on-call for the entire weekend. (Swapped with my boss, weeks ago, because it was his birthday and they were having a family gathering.)

    I'd never have made it to Parliament Square anyway.

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