Just a day after Britain voted to exit the European Union, as many as 120,000 people signed an online petition that seeks to declare "London independent from the U.K. and apply to join the EU."
The petition also called on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare London independent of the U.K. and apply to join the European Union.
London resident and writer James O' Malley, who started the online campaign, was reportedly shocked as well when more than 100,000 people signed it within a day.
The petition said that London is a metropolitan city and wants to remain at the heart of Europe.
"So rather than passive aggressively vote against each other at every election, let's make the divorce official and move in with our friends on the continent," it said.
Petitioner O'Malley urged Khan, saying, "Mayor Sadiq, wouldn't you prefer to be President Sadiq? Make it happen!" and ended the call with a new hashtag, #londependence.
"I had no idea it was going to happen. I thought it would get a couple of hundred signatures," he was quoted as saying by ITV.
O'Malley's call reflects how Londoners voted in the EU referendum on Thursday. Almost 60 percent Londoners supported the Remain campaign as opposed to the rest of the country, the BBC reported.
The Telegraph also noted that at least 72 percent people aged between 18 and 24 voted to remain a part of the European coalition. The voting pattern was also affected by education level. More number of university educated people voted to remain in the formerly 28-nation bloc. The data also put the older generation, i.e. 65+ years, as the demographic that voted in heavy numbers for the Brexit campaign.
The Brexit result sent ripples of shock worldwide as markets tumbled and the Sterling hit a 31-year low. Meanwhile, Remain campaigner Prime Minister David Cameron declared that he would resign before October amid the chaos that ensued on Friday.
The younger generation in the U.K. is currently blaming the older generation for limiting their movement across countries in Europe and limiting access to other resources.
