Mass protests planned during Trump’s official visit to the UK
Mehr News Agency – According to Western media, mass protests have been planned for President Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK, just a year after the giant “Trump Baby” blimp sparked controversy in London. According to ABC TV, protest banners were unfurled over London’s Vauxhall bridge bearing the message: “Resist Trump. Resist Racism. Resist Cruelty. Resist Hate. Resist Sexism.”
Organizers of the protests from the “Together Against Trump” organization told ABC News that protests are planned at Buckingham Palace on Monday, when the president will be attending a state banquet with the Queen, and on Tuesday, when he will be visiting Prime Minister Theresa May. The protest at Buckingham Palace was a small event, with only 66 people registered as “attending” on the Facebook event entitled: Protest at the Palace: Spoil Trump’s Banquet.
However, the protest on Tuesday, beginning in London’s historic Trafalgar Square at 11 a.m. local time, was expected to be a much more dramatic affair. Nearly 8,000 people are registered for the Facebook event, while another 33,000 social media users have said they are “interested” in it as of Sunday morning.
“On 4 June thousands of protesters will be marching to surround american president as he joins Theresa May on a visit most believe should never have happened,” a spokesperson for “Stand up to Trump” told ABC News. “We will be bringing central London to a standstill. By the time he leaves he will know, and the world will know, that people here reject him and his toxic politics.”
Trump’s last visit to the UK in July 2018 drew controversy as protesters flew a huge blimp with straw-blond hair, an orange-hued face and out-of-proportion hands that depicted american president as a baby. However, it is unclear whether the “Trump Baby” blimp will make a return this year. A crowdfunding page called “Bring Trump Baby Back” has been calling for donations to raise the $37,000 needed to fly the blimp. So far only $22,500 had been raised.
Despite this, organizers remain “confident” that the blimp will return, ABC quoted the ITV News as saying, although protest organizer Kevin Smith that “we will only fly the baby if we hit the [funding] target.”
