Police were forced to seperate Leave and Remain campaigners outside Parliament tonight as tensions briefly threatened to boil over in the aftermath of the government’s Brexit defeat.
It came as pro-EU supporters rejoiced at the Commons vote, which they believe advances the case for a so-called People’s Vote on Brexit.
As news of Theresa May’s historic defeat spread outside Parliament, a group of Brexit supporters walked along Abingdon Street chanting, football fan style to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, “bye bye, EU”.
They came to a halt outside the George V statue, where a huge group of Remainers had gathered.
Police officers were immediately forced to step in and form a human barrier between the two groups as tensions rose.
The pro-EU campaigners, who outnumbered the pro-Brexit protesters by about six to one, chanted, equally angrily, “B******* to Brexit” at their rivals.
One elderly Remainer rushed forward to confront the Brexiteers, who were chanting “you can stick your flags with stars on up your a***”. Upon seeing the lone remonstrating Remainer, they roared: “LOSER!”
The stand-off finished after about 20 minutes of exchanges between the two sides.
News of Theresa May’s defeat just before 7.45pm was met with rapturous cheers, with one Remainer, draped in an EU flag and visibly emotional, wailing: “Stop Brexit!”
There had been a festival-style atmosphere in Westminster ahead of the vote, with a People’s Vote stage near the Tube station attracting over 1,000 activists.
Police said as of 6.15pm three people had been arrested, one on suspicion of a public order offence, one on suspicion of criminal damage and one for assault.
