People's Vote March - Oct 19th

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I thought we might appreciate a separate thread for organising meet ups and info :)

I am short of time at the moment, so support in gathering info and linking people together is very much appreciated.

It looks like Parliament (according to a Laura K tweet) will be having a special meeting on that day, even though it's a Saturday, so all the more reason to come along and let them know that we reject the situation and that we especially reject a No Deal Brexit.

Texts seem to get through more easily than messenger and whatsapp when the crowds get big - so its useful having actual phone numbers.

Current forecast is perhaps for some showers mid afternoon. Wind - a little blowy, but nothing too extreme.

Agree with poster above who said that phone signal failed at the last march, so be cautious about relying on it.

I'll be arriving at Paddington. May as well walk from there - probably easier than faffing about with the Tube.

The atmosphere was fab at the last march, but I'm slightly wary about trouble-makers this time...

Just to reassure people:

• on the last two marches I’ve been on (the 1m march in March and StoptheCoup demo in Sept) the ‘opposition’ amounted to a tiny handful (9-10) of shouty fat blokes in England flag T-shirts. They were pitiful, but the police took no chances and kettled them very effectively, allowing the vast, heaving majority to get on with its cheerful and peaceful protest

• it was possible to join or leave the march at any point. That was good for trips to toilets with kids etc or just to cut around through St James Oark and catch the speeches in Parliament Square

Looking forward to seeing everyone there on Saturday! I am bringing 4 others with me, and hoping to meet another 4-6 people there, but may be being optimistic!

Any tips? I am taking food and water but trying to keep bag weight low. My friend is laminating my sign tomorrow, so it should be waterproofed.

Take battery chargers and cables.

Laminated signs... Cut largish hole in paper wher yo are going to attach to the stick... Then you can staple through just clear laminate... If you staple through paper and laminate it lets water in and breaks the seal. Not a problem if you are taping it all together.

Good luck.

I wish I could be there with you. We (me, my husband and our then four year old) went on the last two marches but cannot make this one.

When we went, we took a packed lunch to eat as we shuffled along - that helped keep the four year old occupied. Try not to drink too much - sheer weight of people made moving around tricky so finding a loo would be a pain. It took us hours to get out of Park Lane - there were just so many people. I don't think our phones worked on either March. The policing was very light touch (although I'm sure they had plenty of vanfuls on standby in case the mood turned).

The last two marches had a fabulous atmosphere. I hope this one will be as peaceful and pleasant.

I agree with a pp that pro Brexit troublemakers are nothing to worry about. I've been on a couple of Stop the Coup demos where there were some Tommy Robinson fan boys but they were mostly kettled by the police.

I was at one rally in Parliament Square where 3 or 4 managed to worm their way through and got to the front of the crowd. But even then it wasn't a problem. They heckled a bit but the Remainers were all so lovely that there was no aggression for them to feed off. And there were police nearby who would have stepped in if there had been a problem.

In March there was somebody wearing a balaclava and a lady tapped them on the arm and said
"do take that off dear"

Stupid question from someone not so familiar with London.
To use the underground can I just do it with contactless or do I need an Oyster card?

Our coach will be picking up and dropping off at Embankment. Would you walk or tube?

Embankment : Walk
Underground : Buy a one day travelcard if you need it
BUT
If you go to google maps and put in
embankment / trafalgar square / Whitehall / hyde park corner
and walking times
you'll see that the distances are small
ALSO
In March the Police had blocked traffic but were letting pedestrians use any and every short cut so the flow of people was not too bad

So if I am only marching and both starting and finishing at Embankment then it’s not worth getting a travel card?

If I do want to buy one do I do so from a machine? I’ve not used the tube in about 15 years.

I'd say not bother.

Depending where your coach drops you on the Embankment, its a short walk to Trafalgar Square
the tube will be rammed with people coming in from the outer zones

walking up to find the nearest part of the route is part of the experience
AND
If you walk then you'll have your bearings for getting back at the end of the day

Pancake - if you have a contactless debit card, you can just use that. Tap it in at the barrier to any tube station and tap it out again when you leave and it will deduct the cheapest fare applicable. Once you hit the travelcard equivalent spend for the day (if you travel enough to get to that level), it will stop charging you any extra. The debit card can be used on any form of public transport in London, the only problem is remembering which card you have used if you have more than one and making sure that you use the same one to tap out.

I just use contactless now.

I think the loos in the royal parks are still 20p so pack some coins if you are.going that way (not that I'm toilet obsessed or anything...)

Loo report from Victoria station: I amended my journey to work today especially to check! Glad to report that all open and actually v nice. Lots of them - so hopefully they will survive the onslaught of people on Saturday.

Weekend update from TFL re tube lines.

Awww, thank you for doing that Sovie :)

Thanks Northwest!

From Transport for London:

'London Underground Saturday 19 October

From 10:00 until 18:00 on Saturday, Tube services in central London will be extremely busy, due to a march. To help manage the crowds safely, the following stations near the start of the march will become exit and interchange only from about 11:00: Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge and Green Park.

We expect Westminster station will become exit and interchange only by 14:00.

Other nearby stations will also be exceptionally busy, and may be made exit or interchange only during the day: Bond Street, Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Charing Cross, Embankment, Piccadilly Circus, Waterloo, St James’s Park, Vauxhall and Victoria.'

For those wanting to eat at the end of the walk, this is just over the bridge from Charing Cross and Embankment tube
www.southbankcentre.co.uk/visit/cafes-restaurants-bars/scfood-market

For those slightly further north
www.thisissoho.co.uk/the-market/
Berwick Street in Soho

I'm a huge fan of food trucks as you can grab something hot and fresh and tasty with little queue and not much money

I'm so excited about coming. Just worried that the momentum for a PV or to stop Brexit might be waning and turn out may not be that high. everyone is so thoroughly fed up of Brexit after all. A PV would need another extension

I think people will come - in my little circle, everyone is making an effort for this one.

Hope you're right, OYBBK. In my circle, very few people are bothering. I think they're feeling worn down by it all.