When did you first attend the SODEM protest outside Parliament and why did you come? 

It was a sunny midweek, sometime in 2018. My brother (Jack Dart) and I were running Inspire EU – a national, pro-EU youth group – at the time and were very keen on grassroots activism. Jack was living in London at the time, and I was interested to see what SODEM was all about.     

Needless to say, it was an inspiring experience, seeing so many people coming to Westminster in the middle of the week to demonstrate about something so important to them (us). 

Roughly how old are you?

29

How frequently did you come and when was the last time you attended?

I must have attended 15-20 times overall, most recently in Winter 2019. 

How far from Westminster do you live and what was your travelling time?

At the time I lived in Woolwich, London. It took me just under an hour. 

What’s your favourite memory?

I particularly enjoyed Tim Evans’ humorous/satirical style of campaigning. His energy was infectious.     

Additionally, I found the community/family vibe reassuringly validating as to which side of history I’d gravitated toward after June 2016; passionate, empathic, intelligent people coming together for democracy, for European values, for their country. 

Tell me your story

My brother and I set up Inspire EU in 2017 to challenge the idea that Brexit was an inevitability. We were motivated by the idea that Brexit was a protest vote and people would soon come to regret their choice. We felt the campaigns were uniquely dishonest and that the public would soon grow angry as the reality of Brexit clashes with the ludicrous facade.     

We both moved to London and became increasingly passionate about this cause. SODEM became a great outlet for our energy/frustration. It was also great fun and enjoyable speaking with like-minded people who shared our frustration/sense of despair. 

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