LONDON: Carrying placards and chanting slogans, thousands of protesters against Donald Trump gathered in central London on Wednesday to criticize the US president’s historic second state visit to the UK.
The Metropolitan Police in London estimated that approximately 5,000 individuals participated in the protest, which concluded with a rally outside parliament.
While Trump was welcomed with royal treatment at Windsor Castle, located about 22 miles (35 kilometers) west of London, protesters paraded in central London to express their discontent on the initial full day of his visit.
“We’re demonstrating, I guess, concerning everything related to Donald Trump.” “You’re unsure which sign to hold, honestly, there are countless things” to oppose, said former teacher Dave Lockett, 67, to AFP.
“He’s spreading chaos and ruin across the entire planet…” “If Trump’s concepts penetrate this society, then what we’re discussing is fascism in the UK,” he stated.
Leftist legislators, including the new Green Party leader Zack Polanski, were among those who spoke to the crowds in Parliament Square during the rally organized by prominent comedian Nish Kumar.
“We have come together to declare that this is not on our behalf,” Polanski stated regarding Trump’s invitation from the governing centre-left Labour administration.
“Now is the time to question all that Donald Trump represents.” “This is the time to refuse the politics of hatred and separation.”
‘Concealing’
Demonstrators initially gathered in the early afternoon close to the BBC’s headquarters, raising a variety of banners, flags, and signs, addressing issues from backing the Palestinians to opposing fascism.
In the midst of a noisy drumming backdrop, a few protesters had crafted miniature replicas of the oversized balloon showing Trump in a diaper, which gained notoriety during his initial state visit in 2019.
Yashi Sriram, a physician from India, appeared with a sign that said: “Stop the genocide.” “End Trump.”
“I mainly wanted to express my support for the people of Palestine, honestly, more than anything,” stated the 32-year-old.
The demonstration was organized by a group named the Stop Trump Coalition, supported by a wide range of organizations such as Amnesty International UK, Black Lives Matter UK, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Greenpeace.
The coalition raised concerns about Trump’s minimal time spent in London during the visit.
“Since he is aware of our protests against him,” the group stated in a message prior to the march.
“Instead, he’ll be concealed and taking a lonely, sorrowful carriage ride alone in Windsor with a parade that no one will even witness.” “This is due to the strength of our demonstration.”
Attendees at the evening rally chanted numerous times: “Say it loud, say it clear: Donald Trump is not welcome here,” while different speakers criticized him.
Trump lacks popularity.
The Metropolitan Police in London deployed over 1,600 officers, including 500 from other forces, to ensure the event went smoothly.
An alleged counter-demonstration did not materialize, and there were no accounts of disturbances or detentions.
A solitary demonstrator, encircled by officers, held up a placard stating: “We Love Trump,” provoking jeers as anti-Trump activists walked by him.
Trump continues to be highly unpopular in Britain, with recent polling on Wednesday indicating that nearly half of those surveyed believed it was inappropriate to invite him for another state visit.
Just a quarter thought it would enhance UK-US relations, based on the YouGov/Sky survey.
London’s mayor Sadiq Khan, who permitted the unflattering Trump baby blimp to soar during the U.S. president’s visits in his first term, has been a constant critic in a lengthy feud.
Khan stated on Tuesday in The Guardian: “In recent years, Trump and his associates may have done the most to stoke the fires of divisive, far-right politics globally.”
Approximately 150,000 individuals showed up for a weekend rally in London spearheaded by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, resulting in 26 officers getting injured during altercations on the outskirts of the gathering.
In the article, Khan — the inaugural Muslim mayor of a Western capital when elected in 2016 — charged Trump with “blaming minorities, unlawfully deporting American citizens, sending the military into the streets of multicultural cities.
