MORE than a thousand people gathered in central York for an anti-Brexit rally today.

The rally and march, which took place place around St Helen's Square, had been organised by Remain voters who were angry at the apparent lack of planning by Leave campaigners and the narrow majority.

Student Sally Sidik was one of those behind the rally. She said: "It's been brilliant to see so much solidarity and to see people coming together like this.

"We were expecting around 500 people but more than 1000 have turned out, which really show how the people of York want to support this."

Police estimated that more than 1000 people had taken part in the protest.

Among those on the March was 28 year old Kay Garbett, who said: "It was a real blow, seeing the vote result. There was a lot of misinformation and I feel really passionately that people should have the right to vote, as long as it's on truthful information."

York Press:

Kay Garbett, 28, on the EU rally in York today

She added: "I have seen the rise in hate crime since the vote and that really concerns me. I don't want to be part of that, I want to be part of a society where we love each other and we don't have borders.

"We are a really divided country. People are saying Great Britain really wants to leave the EU but only 52 per cent voted to leave. We are a really divided country."

Andrew Wincott travelled from his home in Selby with his wife, and children aged nine and 14, to join the march.

"I feel let down by certain sections of the media, who have spread lies and tricked people into thinking it's in their interests to leave the EU, when it's clearly not," he said.

"The EU offers us protection at work, promotes free trade, and it makes us wealthy. Why would you not want to be part of that?"

Lorna Hamilton, a psychology lecturer at York St John University's, said she felt extremely strongly that Britain needed to remain an outward facing country, and to stand up against racist outbursts seen since the referendum.

York Press:

It finished with a rally in St Helen's Square, addressed by speakers including Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate James Blanchard and York Central MP Rachael Maskell.

Mr Blanchard told the crowds they needed to "take back democracy."

"That is more than just signing an online petition," he added, pleading with people to join political parties and get involved in the political process.

Mr Blanchard called for either a general election or a second referendum, to give people chance to say whether they really want Britain to leave the EU, once the consequences are better known. 

Mr Blanchard said: "There's nothing wrong with having two competing plans [for Britain's future with the EU] and having a vote on them."

Ms Maskell said the country was facing an economic crisis, a constitutional crisis regarding Scotland and Northern Ireland's place in the union, and a global crisis with relationships between Britain the rest of Europe on the rocks.

She accused David Cameron of "playing roulette" with the country's future to address divisions in his own party.

There now needs to be a "proper debate" about what the EU means to Britain, what the benefits area, and what it means to be integrated with the rest of Europe, she added.

"We have to make a framework to assess the risk and assess the reality. Then we can talk to you again."