The BBC has been asked to explain the lack of media coverage of a National Rejoin March this weekend which attracted tens of thousands of people, according to broadcasters in other countries.
Organisers of Saturday’s National Rejoin March (NRM) said it was “scandalous and bizarre” that the national broadcaster had not covered their rally, which was attended by European politicians Guy Verhofstadt and Terry Reintke as well as campaigner Gina Miller.
Pro-EU protestors gathered outside the Hilton hotel on Park Lane in west London before marching through the city’s streets towards Parliament Square.
Individual groups from across the country, including Devon, Cornwall, Stratford and Leeds were present with personalised placards.
Protestors from other European countries also attended the event with many wearing EU-styled berets.
Terry Reintke, member of European Parliament from Germany and co-chairwoman of the Green Group in the parliament, said Europeans see events like the march with “a lot of sympathy” and that the UK is viewed as an “absolutely integral partner”.
She said: “The UK has managed to build one of the biggest pro-European movements across Europe, and we can still feel there are so many millions of people in the UK who want to rejoin the EU.”
But a lack of national media coverage of the event did not go unnoticed.
Peter Benson, an NRM spokesperson told Scottish newspaper The National that it is “scandalous and bizarre that the BBC are refusing to cover it.
“[Brexit] has added considerably to the cost of living crisis and inflation, and consequently higher interest rates. It’s a huge story for the British nation.”
He went on: “It’s not just about a march, it’s about the cost of living.
“Brexit has made the lives of everybody worse and we are frankly shocked and saddened that a British institutional broadcaster is refusing to cover this story.
“We want to further add that both Sky News and BBC News were in Whitehall and Parliament Square at the same time that our march and rally was going on. They were covering another march of a few hundred people and we didn’t get any coverage.
“So is that self-censorship by the BBC? We’d love an explanation.”
The other, much smaller protest, was against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban the sale and ownership of American Bully XL dogs, once the breed has been defined.
Unlike the anti-Brexit demonstration, the dog owners’ rally was covered by the BBC, as were pro-independence marches in Falkirk and Bangor, in Wales.
Edwin Haywood, the author of Slaying Brexit Unicorns, wrote on Twitter/X: “Marches BBC news online covered today: – Scottish independence in Falkirk – Welsh independence in Bangor – Wales 20mph protest in Cardiff – Just Stop Oil in Bristol
“Marches BBC news online made no mention of today: – Anti-Brexit March to Rejoin in London
“Pathetic!”
Related: Major Tory donor to pull funding if northern leg of HS2 is scrapped
