Farage's Brexit March Now To Meet In Fulham
Organisers abandon plan to assemble in Chiswick and switch to Bishops Park
March To Leave proceeding through the country
March To Leave which was due to take place this Friday 29 March as part of a major protest against 'Brexit Betrayal' now plans to assemble in Bishops Park in Fulham.
The organisers have abandoned plans to assemble in Chiswick according to their web site. The had previously announced that the march, which began in Sunderland on 16 March, was to meet in W4 before proceeding to Parliament Square.
Although they had not confirmed details citing security reasons, it was widely believed that the intention was to congregate on Turnham Green before proceeding down to the river. They have now announced that the assembly point will be 11.30am in Bishops Park.
When we asked the organisers at the time the march was originally announced about their plans their spokesman told us that it was their intention to most proceed along the Thames Path towards Westminster. However, there are unconfirmed reports that permission was not obtained to use certain sections of the Thames Path in the Chiswick area which are private land including that by Corney Reach and Regency Quay. It has been suggested that the route had to be changed when permission was declined on at least one part of the route that was privately owned. The police and Hounslow Council had not given any indication of road closures or any measures that were be in place to marshal the march.
March To Leave, which plans to end at Parliament Square on the day that the UK was originally due to leave the European Union, is a nationwide protest organised by Nigel Farage and the Leave Means Leave group.
The march has taken place without major incident as it has travelled south although turnout has been no more than a few hundred on each day. The core marchers are required to pay £50 to join but get free food and board. Brexit supporters are being asked to join them to show their support and register as 'cheer leaders'.
It is expected that the final leg will have the largest number of participants as the intention is to finish with a demonstration in front of parliament. It is not thought likely that the march will be anywhere near the scale of the anti-Brexit protest that took place in central London this Saturday. The march's web site suggests 'thousands' will congregate at Parliament Square for the culmination of the march but there is no indication how many of these will have walked from Fulham.
We have asked March To Leave for a comment on their reasons for switching the departure point. Hammersmith and Fulham Council have also been asked for comment.
March 26, 2019