Ariana News Agency-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The historic moment, which happened at 23:00 GMT, was marked by both celebrations and anti-Brexit protests.<\/p>\n Candlelit vigils were held in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU, while Brexiteers partied in London’s Parliament Square.<\/p>\n Boris Johnson has vowed to bring the country together and “take us forward”.<\/p>\n In a message released on social media an hour before the UK’s departure, the prime minister said: “For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come.<\/p>\n “And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss.”<\/p>\n He said some had worried the political “wrangle” would not end but it was his job to take the country forward.<\/p>\n Brexit parties were held in pubs and social clubs across the UK as the country counted down to its official departure.<\/p>\n Thousands gathered in Parliament Square to celebrate Brexit, singing patriotic songs and cheering speeches from leading Brexiteers, including Nigel Farage.<\/p>\n The Brexit Party leader said: “Let us celebrate tonight as we have never done before.<\/p>\n “This is the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation.”<\/p>\n Pro-EU demonstrators earlier staged a march in Whitehall to bid a “fond farewell” to the union – and anti-Brexit rallies and candlelit vigils were held in Scotland.<\/p>\n Police in Whitehall arrested four men and also charged one man with criminal damage and being drunk and disorderly, while in Glasgow one man was arrested.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, other symbolic moments on a day of mixed emotions included:<\/p>\n – The Union flag being removed from the European Union institutions in Brussels In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Irish Republic.<\/p>\n The Irish border – now the UK’s land border with the EU – was a major sticking point in the Brexit divorce talks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The UK has officially left the European Union after 47 years of membership – and more than three years after it voted to do so in a referendum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_mat_hreflang_tags":[],"addvideo":"","video_duration":"","farsit":"","target":"0","top_stories":"0","top":"0"},"categories":[3],"tags":[340,692,267],"class_list":["post-4832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-brexit","tag-european-union","tag-uk"],"acf":{"myctype":"change","target":false,"top_stories":false,"top":false,"farsit":""},"yoast_head":"\n
\n– The Cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to declare in favour of Brexit when the 2016 results were announced
\n– A light show illuminating 10 Downing Street and Union flags lining The Mall
\n– A 50p coin to mark the occasion entering circulation
\n– The building of the UK government’s delegation to the EU changed its name and sign<\/p>\n