Millions sign petition urging stop to Brexit
March 23, 2019
A petition asking the British government to reverse its course on Brexit has received more than 4.5 million signatures in only three days.
The petition on the parliamentary website launched on Wednesday is calling for the government to revoke Article 50, the mechanism that governs Britain's departure from the European Union.
Read more: EU offers UK Brexit extension options, initially to April 12
"The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people.' We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen — so vote now," the petition states.
According to the parliament's official petitions committee, the site crashed on Thursday after receiving the highest-ever number of signatures.
Parliament will consider for debate all petitions that get more than 100,000 signatures.
The petition has gained the support of prominent celebrities and parliamentarians who helped spread the message on social media.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon wrote on Twitter: "An issue as big and important as Brexit should not come down to petitions — that said, if you are frustrated that the PM is just not listening, you can sign here."