Protesters to hold Berlin demo over final Brexit referendum

Volt Europa has teamed up with Pulse of Europe and British in Germany to stage the protest. 

It’s being held to coincide with the Let us Be Heard People's Vote march taking place in London on the same day, which is calling for a second referendum to let voters have a final say on any agreed deal, and whether or not to leave the EU.

The demo, which will include speeches and solidarity singing, will take place on the corner of Unter den Linden and Wilhelmstraße, where the British Embassy is located, in central Berlin from 10am until 12noon. 

Rachel Riesner-Marriott, a volunteer with British in Germany who has lived in Berlin for nearly eight years, told The Local the gathering was happening in solidarity with those marching in London. 

“And to ask both the EU and the British Government to ringfence our rights, particularly if this deal is not passed,” added Riesner-Marriott. “It’s been three years of sitting in limbo waiting to find out what’s going to happen. 

“We will be making our voice heard and hoping London listens. That’s why we are taking to the streets tomorrow.”

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Riesner-Marriott said this was a “knife-edge moment”.

She said: “Are we going to have a Brexit or are we not going to have a Brexit? Is this deal going to pass?

“There’s a lot of thoughts and confusion."

She said lots of Brits in Germany will be nervous as the UK parliament votes on Boris Johnson's deal. "Tomorrow we'll be sat on the sofa popping the champagne or crying on the sofa like the referendum just happened," she said

Campaign groups also want to raise awareness of the damaging impact of Brexit on the rights of UK nationals living in Germany as well as those of German citizens in the UK.

They also want to highlight the future impact of Brexit on citizens, such as the difficulties British people in a relationship with Germans or other EU nationalities could face in returning to the UK with their families when the UK is not in the EU anymore. 

Riesner-Marriott said: “Why does some Brexiteer get to have his dream at the expense of someone not being able to return to the UK?”

All nationalities, not just Brits, are urged to join the demo.

“Anyone who’s against Brexit and wants to stand in solidarity with other British people whether you’re Chinese, American, Spanish, French, German or whatever; anyone who cares about stopping Brexit,  come down and support us," Riesner-Marriott added.

More information on the event can be found here.