Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailThousands gathered in central London to protest Donald Trump’s historic second state visit to the UK.While the US president was treated to pomp and pageantry at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, with supporters lining the streets, the British capital was home to far more irreverent scenes.Several Trump impersonators walked the march to Parliament Square, complete with heavily orange tans and voluminous blond hair. Palestine flags and pro-Palestine placards dominated the gathering, as did chants of “Free Palestine” and “Donald Trump, you’re a clown. You’re not welcome in our town.”The march, organised by the Stop Trump Coalition, saw MPs Zarah Sultana, Jeremy Corbyn and several other speakers take to the stage to criticise Trump’s visit. More than 1,600 police officers were deployed across the city, including 500 assisting from forces outside of London, with a heavy police presence around Downing Street and the Cenotaph. open image in gallery(AP)Trump has reportedly been kept away from the backlash as prime minister Keir Starmer hopes to strengthen the UK’s “special relationship” with the US at a turbulent time. The atmosphere at the event was largely jubilant and upbeat with costumes, wigs, caricatures and “angry orange baby” balloons aplenty. One woman dressed as the “Statue of Taking Liberties” while another couple held a spike with a pig’s head dressed in a wig and Maga hat. However, clashes occurred as one right-wing campaigner held a Union Jack flag, heckled the crowds from the sidelines and shouted: “Boring” and “There were 500,000 of us last week, how many of you are there?” referring to last week’s “Unite the Kingdom” rally organised by Tommy Robinson. He was promptly dubbed a “fascist” in response. Another man sat at a pop-up table that read “We love Trump” and said he had attended as a “lone voice for Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk”. Police intervened to break up the heated exchanges. open image in gallerySantini and Wendy More travelled from Birmingham for the protest (Maira Butt)Sisters Santini and Wendy More, who travelled to London from Birmingham, said they attended the rally to “stop Donald Trump’s influence” and show him he is “not respected, wanted, or needed” in the UK. One couple, carrying the pig’s head told The Independent: “Trump’s policies are taking us back 50 years and denying global warming is criminal. I just think he’s a pig.” Their message to Trump is: “Stop behaving like a dictator.”open image in galleryProtesters brought props to the gathering attended by thousands (Maira Butt/The Independent)Chris Williams, 74, said he understood the strategic need to welcome the president, however he believed he is “manipulating” disenfranchised communities. Retired probation officer Keith Norton, 69, told The Independent that Trump represents the “epitome of American bullying” and believes Sir Keir should “stand up” to the US leader rather than appeasing him. open image in galleryTrump met with King Charles for the historic state visit (Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)More than 20 miles away in Windsor, Trump met with King Charles to watch a specially-arranged military parade, organised for his visit. He was seen greeting Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton with a compliment, saying “You’re so beautiful”. A YouGov poll revealed that 45 per cent of Brits believe it was wrong to invite the President, while one in three believe it was the right move. Only one in five (19 per cent) of people held a favourable opinion of Trump with 69 per cent holding an unfavourable view.
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‘Not respected, wanted, or needed’: Thousands gather in London for anti-Trump protests
