Brexit night : People urged to join ‘candlelight by mobile phone’ protest on Derry - Donegal border

Border Communities Against Brexit are organising the event, which gets under way at 9.30pm on January 31, as “the North of Ireland will be dragged out of the European Union against its will”.

Another protest will be held simultaneously at the Lifford-Strabane border on Friday.

Referring to the 2016 vote on leaving the European Union, in which almost 80 per cent of people in Derry voted to Remain, and people across the north also voted by majority to remain, the local cross-border lobby group said it was clear then and since that Brexit does not have the support of the people in the North of Ireland.

Border Communities Against Brexit are holding a rally at the Bridgend this Friday 31st January at 9.30pm to show our opposition to Brexit – with “candle light by mobile phone”.

A spokesperson said: “Whilst the current deal means that there will be no hard infrastructure at the border, many threats and serious challenges remain. Brexit in any form is bad for citizen’s, our economy, our Peace and our future.

“It remains the case that the British government has unilaterally decided to walk away from not only the EU, but also from important aspects of the Good Friday Agreement. All of this is being done in opposition to the democratically expressed wishes of the people in the North who voted 56% Remain.

“For people in the North, Brexit still means that their rights and protections will be reduced,” he added, while also claiming:

“Opportunities for our young people will disappear and essential funding streams will be lost, including payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

“The Tories will also seek to roll back on EU safeguards for workers’ rights.”

The campaigning group said that human rights and equality guarantees in law are a central part of the Good Friday Agreement but claimed that “Tory/DUP Brexiteers are planning to scrap the Charter of Fundamental Rights post-Brexit”.

“The British Government must meet their obligations under the Good Friday Agreement, including the continued incorporation into law of the European Convention on Human Rights. The interests of Ireland and the rights of citizens’ in the North must be front and centre of negotiations on the future relationship between the EU and Britain.

“The lobbying, profile and activity of Border Communities Against Brexit helped to ensure that there will be no hard border in Ireland.

“The work of BCAB has included public meetings in border communities, wide spread media engagement in Ireland, in Brussels, and engagement with political representatives at local, national, EU level and America.

“Ireland’s border counties political representative’s need to keep up the pressure to ensure that the Irish Government continues to stand up for our interests and those of all the people in the North.

“BCAB will closely monitor the Future trade talks and we will call out politicians who are not ensuring that adequate protections are being included in these trade negotiations.

“To highlight the threats that remain to our rights BCAB have organised public demonstrations for Friday 31st January at 9:30pm at key points along the border.

“We are encouraging as many people as possible to attend this local protest and to log on to Border Communities Against Brexit Facebook page for further details.”