Catalogue Number
NMLH.2021.155
Object Name
Photograph
Title
Photograph of person holding placard at pro-leave protest - "I'd rather die a rebel than a slave to the EU."
Date
2016
Creator(s)
Description
Photograph of a woman at a protest in Manchester; she has a Union Jack flag around her said and is holding up a green, blue and white placard which has black lettering saying, "I'd rather die a rebel than a slave to the EU." Other people are holding a different placard above this person - this protest placard says "Out of EU now!", "Democratic struggle PETERLOO 1819", "#BREXIT," "2019", "LOVE", "WTO BREXIT NOW."
The EU referendum took place in June 2016, to decide whether Britain should remain part of the European Union. The two largest campaigns were those who wanted to leave the EU, and those who wanted to remain in the EU. This placard is supporting the leave campaign, stating that they'd rather "die a rebel, than a slave to the EU." The referendum result ended up with the U.K leaving the EU, with a 51.9% vote in favour of leaving. Several high profile politicans supported the leave campaign, such as Conservative Party Eurosceptics Michael Gove and Boris Johnson and previous UKIP leader Nigel Farage. Some of the leave campaign's main points and arguments were taking back sovereignty, anti-immigration, and the promose for economic strength and more money for the NHS. Voting in favour of Brexit was seen as an anti-establishment vote by some. This placard was used in a 2016 protest in Manchester, protesting to leave the European Union.
