The March to Leave procession has set off earlier than expected with hundreds of demonstrators walking from Fulham to Parliament Square.
The Nigel Farage-backed group are on the final day of protest walk from Sunderland to Westminster, arriving in time for the UK’s original EU departure date.
Westminster is expected to see mass protests and counter-protests, with road closures ready to be enforced.
Pro-Brexit protesters take part in the March to Leave demonstration, as they walk along the River Thames with many holding ‘Believe in Britain’ banners
Scotland Yard has had to dismiss claims from UKIP that a water cannon could be deployed at protests to ‘provoke Brexiteers’, while London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been seen on a controversial bus tour around the capital.
The route, which was scheduled to start at 11:30am, will go through Bishops Park, Stevenage Road and Fulham FC, before arriving in Westminster for 4pm.
Many on the march have been seen holding Union Jack flags, placards and banners, with several seen wearing hi-vis vests.
Conservative party member Colin Grostate, 67, said the vests were ‘a symbol from France’.
One marcher holds a sign aloft reading ‘Respect the vote’ as Union flag-wrapped Brexit supporters take part in the final leg of the March To Leave Rally on March 29
Marchers fill the street beside Imperial Wharf. The long walk from Chiswick to Westminster is the final stretch of their 14-day hike that started on a rainy day on the North Sea coast near Sunderland
The former black cab driver said: ‘We support the populism.
‘Germany, France, Spain, they’re all starting the same thing and now the British are too.
‘Yellow vests means you’re in distress; when your car breaks down you put it on.
‘Our politicians are not listening. Too many people are trying to stop what people voted for.’
Scotland Yard has dismissed suggestions from Ukip leader Gerard Batten that water cannon could be deployed at protests to ‘provoke Brexiteers’.
A large banner unfurls to read ‘Honour the vote’ – Protests are expected to block off the streets surrounding Westminster as dozens of Leave and Remain supporters have already arrived in Parliament Square to stake out their territory
The group has increased in size compared to the 80-strong crowd walking from Sunderland, police temporarily blocking off roads to allow them to pass through west London
The Metropolitan Police has dismissed suggestions from Ukip leader Gerard Batten that water cannon could be deployed at the protests, saying reports it could use them were ‘baseless and false’.
Mr Batten is due to speak at a rally alongside ex-English Defence League chief Tommy Robinson against ‘Theresa May and her traitorous Tories’ on Whitehall on Friday afternoon.
Road closures may be enforced around the area, Transport for London warned.
Westminster Council said it is aware of up to 13 separate scheduled protests and the Metropolitan Police said ‘appropriate policing plans are in place’.
The procession, which left Sunderland two weeks ago, is due to arrive at Parliament Square at around 4pm.
Former Ukip leader Nigel Farage, businessman and Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin and broadcaster Julia Hartley-Brewer will speak at the ‘Brexit Betrayal’ rally.
Organisers have said ‘it is now clear the Westminster elite are preparing to betray the will of the people over Brexit’, adding: ‘Failing to deliver a true Brexit will permanently damage the British people’s faith in democracy.’
Westminster council said it was aware of expected rallies from groups including: the DFLA (Democratic Football Lads Alliance) Brexit Party; Stand up for Democracy; EU Leaving Party; March of Freedom; Proud British; A Night of Demonstration and Liberty; United Under Yellow; Rally to Rejoin the EU; Fridays for Future and Critical Mass.
The Metropolitan Police said ‘appropriate policing plans are in place’ to cope with ‘a number of demonstrations and protests’ on Friday.
A spokesman said: ‘We will always provide a proportionate policing plan to balance the right to peaceful protest, while ensuring that disruption to communities is kept to a minimum.
‘To date, protests have been largely peaceful and we have no intelligence at this time to suggest that will change.
‘We would like to reassure the public that officers will be ready to respond should any incidents or other spontaneous protests arise.’
Dozens of party planners will go ahead with their Brexit Day celebrations tonight, despite the UK not meeting the original deadline to leave the EU.
Frustrated voters took to social media to express their anger at Parliament not reaching a solution in time, but many decided to carry on the party regardless.
Louise Emery had planned a retro British party with ‘naff traditional foods’ like cocktail sausages and pickled onions
Some such as pro-Brexit pub landlady Louise Emery, have decided to postpone this evening’s bash at her pub.
The government has secured a delay for the Withdrawal Agreement deadline to May 22, as the Prime Minister Theresa May faces a crucial third vote on her Brexit deal this evening.
Leave and Remain campaigners have also lined the streets outside Westminster to protest Mrs May’s latest attempt to finalise a deal without MPs taking control of the process.
The Leave Means Leave group are still planning to go ahead with a party in Millbank Tower, where Nigel Farage and other Brexiteers celebrated the original referendum result in June 2016.
Campaigners are also marching on Parliament Square later today to protest Mrs May’s attempt to bring her deal back for a third vote in the House of Commons.
Hundreds of annoyed, and some less serious, comments left by Friday night party planners still planning on celebrating Brexit as well as the end of the week
One tweet, claiming to be from a UKIP offshoot in Spain, have cancelled their free drinks but their meeting place will be ‘open as usual’.
Bars and clubs across the country have also had to cancel their plans, some citing poor ticket sales while others feel ‘let down’.
Louise Emery, landlady of the Three Horse Shoes pub in Doncaster said she felt ‘betrayed’ when she decided to cancel her Brexit party.
‘I cancelled it because there is absolutely nothing to celebrate,’ she said.
‘Nobody in my pub wanted to have a celebration, and even if the Prime Minister’s deal got through, it would be muted at best.’
A Brexit supporter demonstrates outside the Houses of Parliament on a tense day of voting for the government, as Theresa May’s Brexit deal goes before the Commons for a third time
Ms Emery, who has owned the freehouse since 2009, said the original event had attracted interest from more than just her 60 regulars.
Despite the delay, she still plans to have a party whenever Parliament and the government can agree a deal.
‘The plan was a retro British party, with a nice sort of naff, old fashioned foods like cocktail sausage and pickled onions.
‘We do have Kronenberg on tap, but apart from that it is lots of Carling, Guinness, and local ales.
‘The feeling is very strong up here, 69 per cent of Doncaster voted Leave, and I don’t really know anyone who opposed it.’
But, The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club won’t be cancelling their drag performance.
Drag queen Pussy Liquor has created a show titled ‘Wake Me Up Before EU Go Go’,
A ‘Brexit leaving drinks’ event which apparently has 2,600 attendees said they had to cancel due to low ticket sales after the Prime Minister May decided to ‘postpone’ Brexit.
LondonSwedes, who were co-organising the event at Number 90 Bar & Kitchen in Hackney Wick said they ‘are still keeping the champagne on ice for the actual date’.
LondonSwedes founder Charlotte Ågren said: ‘The postponement of the event was not an easy decision – but we felt a bit strange going ahead with ‘Leaving Drinks’ on a date that isn’t necessarily close to our actual departure date…or indeed if we’re even going to leave at all.
A ‘UK’s leaving drinks’ event had attracted thousands of potential attendees to the party in Hackney Wick tonight, but organisers said it was cancelled because the government ‘couldn’t get their act together’
‘We tried to approach the event with as much positivity as possible for something that’s become quite complex and full of some fairly nasty rhetoric coming from both sides of the argument.
‘Just from the viral reaction on Facebook, it seems that there’s a genuine appetite to put differences to one side and come together to celebrate – whether it’s the need for a stiff drink to ease the pain of leaving or indeed toasting this brave new dawn we’re about to embark on.’