CRI听力:Thousands march against Brexit vote in London

Chanting "We love you EU," waving European flags and carrying colourful banners with slogans like "The Leave Campaign Lied," the protestors set off Saturday morning to march towards the Houses of Parliament.

Organizers say more than 40-thousand people took part in the march. One thing was clear, they want Britain to stay in the EU.

""Well, if it takes a second referendum, then so be it."

"This referendum has divided the country. We do not want that to happen."

"I am hoping that our protest and our demonstration today can help the government to vote down this ridiculous decision that has been taken for the country."

The British public, many worried by immigration, voted 52 percent in favor of withdrawing from the EU bloc, with 48 percent against in a referendum on June 23rd.

The seismic vote prompted the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron, who had backed the failed Remain campaign.

It also unleashed a bitter leadership battle in the ruling Conservative party and chaos in the main opposition Labour party.

The vote plunged financial markets into crisis, wiping trillions of dollars off equities around the world and sending the British pound to its lowest point in more than three decades.

The results last week showed voters in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the capital London backed remaining, while those that chose to leave were largely from less affluent areas in England and Wales.

But there was also a rough generational split.

Younger voters were likelier to vote Remain -- many of whom worried about their right to travel and work in the EU -- while their elders were likelier to vote Leave.

The narrow victory has triggered anger in Britain among those who wanted to remain in the EU, and more than four million people have signed a petition calling for a second referendum.

There were also signs some among the British public were not well informed of the consequences before they cast their ballots.

Google reportedly saw a surge in searches for questions like "What is the EU?" among British web users hours after the referendum.

Keiran McDermott, one of the march organizers on Saturday, urges the British government to carefully consider their next moves.

"The duty is on parliament to consider to take on board the advisory referendum but take it on board as a piece of advice, you know, it was won by a very small margin, it can cause massive financial hardship to our country. It's going to take a lot of opportunities away from the young people of this country, cause the break up of the UK, you know, based on all these factors, it's parliament's duty to judge whether or not this is good advice."

Home Secretary Theresa May and Justice Secretary Michael Gove, the favorites to succeed David Cameron in his Conservative Party, have been pushing for a delay in starting the formal process that will see Britain exit the European bloc.

However, some EU leaders, including French President Francois Hollande, have urged a swift divorce, fearful of the impact of Britain's uncertain future on economic growth and a potential domino effect that could lead other EU countries to stage similar votes.

For CRI', I'm Victor Ning.