Hundreds of thousands of people have signed up to a petition demanding an end to the TTIP negotiations in less than a week, fair trade campaigners said yesterday.

More than 520,000 people have now added their names to the European Citizens Initiative’s call for a ban on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

The news came the day after people took to the streets in several cities across Europe to protest against the deals, which threaten the environment, democracy and the rule of law.

At Saturday’s London rally, War on Want executive director John Hilary said: “Whatever you care about, it’s under threat from TTIP.”

“The fightback is growing — join us,” added Mr Hilary to vehement applause.

Thousands demonstrated in the capital and hundreds more gathered in Newcastle, Edinburgh and Brighton.

Campaigners have been urging MEPs to vote down the agreement at the European Parliament this week.

38 Degrees campaign executive director David Babbs warned that the deal would threaten the very existence of the NHS.

“It would give multinational corporations the rights to carve up our health service and sue the government for loss of profits if they didn’t make enough money,” said Mr Babbs.

“Ordinary people have had enough of corporations bulldozing through our public services.”

A spokesman for the Business Department argued that “TTIP cannot force the UK to privatise the NHS, and it will remain for the UK and devolved governments to decide how to run our public services.

“TTIP will benefit consumers and businesses alike in Britain.”