Events are taking place across the UK and Europe as part of the ‘Day For Rejoin’ campaign.

‘Day for Rejoin 2024’ is aimed at uniting Rejoiners across the country and further afield to spread the rejoin message while highlighting the reality of Brexit and the damage it has had on Britain and Europe.

In Liverpool, pro-Europeans are congregating at noon at St. George’s Hall and will march to Pier Head, where guest speakers will address the demonstration. Among the speakers is political activist and co-founder of the pro- EU advocacy group Our Future Our Choice (OFOC) Femi Oluwole, artist and musician Madeleina Kay, filmmaker Graham Hughes, and Peter Corr, an ex-army HGV driver who lost his job because of Brexit and co-founded the National Rejoin March (NRM) movement.

The march is being organised by Ceira Sergeant from Walton in Liverpool, who was too young to vote in the 2016 EU referendum, and is working with the NRM to help win back her generation’s future.

In Leeds, a cinema screening of Betrayed: The Truth About Brexit is taking place. The film is by Byline TV, part of the Byline Times network and is narrated by European Movement Chair, Dr Mike Galsworthy. It exposes the realities of Brexit, the chaos it has unleashed, while asking whether Britain will ever rejoin the European Union.

Swindon is hosting a Dance Europa celebration, where European-flavoured dances will make their way through the streets. Dance Europa, which represents Swindon for Europe, gained national media attention last year when they performed outside Last Night of the Proms and in front of the Houses of Parliament during the Thank-you for the Music and National Rejoin celebrations.

In Newcastle, North East for Europe is hosting a European Quiz and Social event. In the Scottish capital, a 90-minute Edinburgh 4 Europe walk is taking place, which passes landmarks that play homage to the city’s strong ties with Europe. Similar events are being put on in many other UK towns, including Lancaster, Exeter and Seaford.

In Germany, a presentation about the effects of Brexit and what it means for Germany’s economy, tourism and students, is being live streamed in various cities. The town of Albunol in the Granada province of Spain is hosting a murder mystery event as part of the Day For Rejoin activities.

The Day For Rejoin follows previous high-profile demonstrations by the NRM. In September last year, tens of thousands of people gathered in central London for an event that was supported by 70 affiliated partner organisations. Protestors from across Europe made their way to Parliament Square, where speakers from six countries addressed the crowd.

Mirjam Gilgen of Pulse of Europe, a movement of European civil society, who is organising a Day For Rejoin street stall in High Wycombe, told LFF that events like this one are key to increasing the visibility of the rejoin movement both in the UK and Europe.

“More silent Rejoiners will be strengthened, and the pressure to pursue the path to rejoin on decision-makers will increase.

“Outside the UK, again the visibility is a key factor, #DayForRejoin shows decision makers in other countries that this a serious, long-lasting pro-EU movement in the UK which has endurance, depth and arguments,” Gilgen added.

Jon Moore, Chair of Lancaster for Europe, where a celebration of the traditional festivities of spring that take place throughout Europe is being held in the Central Library, said that the group has had nothing but support.

“With all the events we put on, we meet those that wish to rejoin, and it solidifies the idea that they aren’t on their own. It is not a dramatic effect, but it normalises the view that rejoining will happen,” he said.

Rainer Hill who is organising the livestream presentation of a documentay that highlights the negative effects of Brexit on Germany, told LFF events like Day for Rejoin are likely to have an impact on the bid for Britain to rejoin the EU, as long as the momentum is maintained.

“However, it will take years to get [the damage] of Brexit reversed,” Hill said.

Gabrielle Pickard-Whitehead is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward

Comments are closed.