900K sign UK government petition calling to revoke Article 50, stay in EU

Nearly one million people signed a petition calling on the United Kingdom government to revoke Article 50 and remain in the European Union.

The number of people signing the petition created by Margaret Anne Georgiadou was rising rapidly Thursday afternoon, reaching a speed of 1,000 people a minute.

"The government repeatedly claims exiting the EU is 'the will of the people.' We need to put a stop to this claim by proving the strength of public support now, for remaining in the EU. A People's Vote may not happen — so vote now," Georgiadou said in her message.

"Revoke Article 50" is currently trending on Twitter in the U.K. and worldwide, with users also sharing links to the petition.

The British Parliament considers all petitions for debate that get more than 100,000 signatures.

Prime Minister Theresa May is trying to persuade European Union leaders to delay Brexit by up to three months, just eight days before Britain is scheduled to leave the bloc.

May will meet the 27 national other EU leaders in Brussels on Thursday, a day after she requested an extension until June 30.

European Council President Donald Tusk says a short delay may be possible, but only if Britain's Parliament approves May's divorce deal with the bloc before the scheduled March 29 departure date.

U.K. lawmakers have already rejected the deal twice. May says they face a "final choice" between her deal, a no-deal departure that could hammer the economy, and cancelling Brexit.

But May angered many legislators with a televised speech Wednesday blaming Parliament for the Brexit impasse.