Politicians and world leaders have dominated the headlines in the campaign for Britain’s EU referendum, but a passionate battle for the country’s future is also being fought by activists on the street
Politicians and world leaders have dominated the headlines in the campaign for Britain’s EU referendum, but a passionate battle for the country’s future is also being fought by activists on the streets.
At a stall in the bohemian London district of Fitzrovia last week, Sheila Hawkins tried to persuade workers on their lunchbreak that leaving the bloc in the June 23 vote would be a “disaster”.
Standing on a street corner handing out leaflets, the pensioner volunteered with the “Britain Stronger In Europe” campaign to allay her own fears of what would happen in the event of a so-called Brexit.
“I was so worried, I thought — stop worrying and do something about it,” she said.
Located next to a shop selling sunglasses, the stall played blues music through a speaker and was stacked with leaflets proclaiming the benefits of the EU in protecting workers’ rights or tackling climate change. Hawkins set out the case for staying within the EU single market to Awo Davis, a 45-year-old producer, who revealed that he has yet to make up his mind how to vote. “I’m not completely convinced by the EU but then again I’m not all together convinced the EU doesn’t work either,” he said, complaining about a lack of impartial information.
Haran, a student who stopped by to pick up a campaign sticker, condemned those who wanted to “Leave” out of a desire to reassert British sovereignty. “Companies are going to suffer and we’re going to go into another deep recession,” he said. The following day, activists from the “Vote Leave” campaign were out canvassing in the early evening sunshine.
A little way down the street, a 34-year-old Polish builder, Marcin Kurd-zialek, stood next to his van watching the activists with interest. He cannot vote in the referendum, but owes his job to the EU’s freedom of movement rules. “I would feel sorry for people who wouldn’t have the opportunities I had,” he said.
