More than 10,000 people, from researchers to celebrities, gathered outside the Science Museum on Saturday to join a global celebration of science.
Organisers of the #MarchforScience – a movement which started out in Washington DC and spawned more than 600 marches worldwide – said the growth of ‘fake news’ and the downgrading of scientific objectivity made it crucial to highlight science’s key role in modern society.
Among the throng was the Dr Who star, Peter Capaldi, comedian and Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Robin Ince and science communicators such as Jon Butterworth and Helen Czerski.
Bearing placards on which chemical symbols sat alongside political slogans, the demonstration marched to Parliament Square passing key institutions such as the Royal Society while delivering chants such as: “What do we want? Evidence-based policy. When do we want it? After peer review”.
Parallel marches were hosted across the UK, including in Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff and Edinburgh. A blog outlining the importance of science was written by author and Science Museum executive, Roger Highfield.