Brexit Day That Was: Coverage of the UK’s Historic Moment

After about four years of fights over Brexit, the UK officially left the European Union after 47 years of being a member, with some celebrating and others protesting.

Happiness and Sadness as UK Exits

23:00 GMT marked the UK’s official exit from the European Union and was a moment of celebration for many, and a cause for protests for others.

“For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come. And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss. And then of course there is a third group – perhaps the biggest – who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end. I understand all those feelings and our job as the government – my job – is to bring this country together now and take us forward. For all its strengths and for all its admirable qualities, the EU has evolved over 50 years in a direction that no longer suits this country. The most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning, a moment of real national renewal and change,” a post on social media by Prime Minister Boris Johnson reads, one hour before the UK’s departure.

The countdown was celebrated by thousands in London’s Parliament Square as pubs and clubs across the country held Brexit parties. People sang patriotic songs and cheered speeches of Brexiteers, while pro-EU, anti-Brexit groups organized marches, rallies and candlelit vigils.

Elsewhere, in Brussels, the Union flag was removed from the European Union institutions, marking the end of a near 50 year membership in the conglomerate of nations.

A 50p coin also entered circulation to mark and celebrate Brexit finally being done.

But, despite the UK finally leaving the EU, the transition period will last until Dec. 31, meaning that EU laws will still be in force until then. The UK’s goal is to make and sign a permanent free trade agreement with the EU, although to get a deal in less than a year’s time will be a tough battle, Europe warns.