Brexit march: '1 million' Put It To The People protesters stage historic rally for a second referendum

See how we covered the day's events live

Femi Oluwole chats to Put it to the People marchers

Some one million people were estimated to have joined the Put It To The People march in central London today, organisers said.

Organised by the People’s Vote, Britain for Europe and Open Britain, protesters demanded the public be given a final say on the Brexit process.

Campaigners seeking a second referendum started in Park Lane at midday before gathering at Parliament Square for a series of speeches, with demonstrators tailing back through the route shown on aerial footage.

On stage Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson addressed Theresa May's own speech this week when she told voters fed up of Brexit that "I am on your side".

He said: “Have a look out of the window prime minister. Open your curtains. Switch on your TV. Here are the people. Theresa May - you don’t speak for us.”

And Michael Heseltine told marchers that the EU represented "parliamentary democracies working together with power based on a shared sovereignty far in excess of anything any one of us could achieve individually" over decades.

People came from across the country to join the demonstration. Sorcha Kirker, 27, travelled from Orkney and told The Independent: "This is too important to miss because of something like geography. It’s our future."

The march took place as Ms May fought to stay in office, with ministers reportedly plotting to oust her. In a letter to MPs she did not guarantee that she would bring her deal back to the Commons for a third meaningful vote, amid suspicions it would fail to pass again.

See below how we covered the march live:

Key Points

• More than four million people sign petition to revoke Article 50
• Labour's deputy leader backs fresh referendum as 'only way' to solve Brexit crisis
• Theresa May might not go ahead with a third vote on her Brexit deal next week

[23 March 2019 08:26 · Adam Forrest]

Hello, and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of Saturday's historic Put it to the People march in London.

[23 March 2019 08:46 · Adam Forrest]

Here's our handy guide to today's massive rally in central London.

[23 March 2019 08:52 · Adam Forrest]

Today's marchers will take heart from news Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson has backed a second referendum as a way of breaking the impasse at Westminster. 

“It can only begin to bring the country back together again if we all have a Final Say – and then live with the result,” he says.

Here's Rob Merrick with more:

[23 March 2019 08:57 · Adam Forrest]

Heidi Allen, the former Conservative MP who joined the Independent Group last month, hopes today’s march will build on the momentum created by this week’s online petition to revoke Article 50 – which now has over three million signatures.

[23 March 2019 09:04 · Adam Forrest]

Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon is on her way to join the protest.

[23 March 2019 09:06 · Adam Forrest]

Writing for The Independent, Nicola Sturgeon says the SNP will try to help secure a longer extension to the Article 50 process "to allow time to put the issue back to voters".

[23 March 2019 09:13 · Adam Forrest]

Some Bristol University students en route to London for the rally were kindly allowed to address fellow train passengers over the tannoy.

[23 March 2019 09:16 · Adam Forrest]

The petition to revoke Article 50 has passed the four million mark:

[23 March 2019 09:25 · Adam Forrest]

The big overnight news from Westminster is that Theresa May might not go ahead with a third vote on her Brexit deal next week if there is not enough support for it.

In a letter to MPs, the prime minister suggested she could seek an extension to Britain's EU membership beyond the European Parliament elections if there is insufficient support for her Withdrawal Agreement.

Here’s Peter Stubley with more:

[23 March 2019 09:28 · Adam Forrest]

People are travelling to the march from every corner of the UK this morning. A group of young people from Northern Ireland from the Our Future Our Choice group made an early start: