Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in London Friday to protest U.S. President Donald Trump’s first official visit to the country.
Trump is largely avoiding London on his visit due to the protests, but that hasn’t stopped people from expressing their anger in the streets.
There will be two protest routes making their way through central London on Friday: the “Bring the Noise” rally led by Women’s March London, which also organized protests after Trump’s inauguration in 2017, and what’s being called the “Carnival of Resistance” led by the Stop Trump organization.
The two routes overlap for most of the day, and the larger Stop Trump protest ends in Trafalgar Square in the evening.
Regent street definitely bringing the noise #trumpprotest #TrumpVisitUK #bringthenoise pic.twitter.com/wmzWd67ZoP
— Esther Allen (@estherruthneica) July 13, 2018
A giant orange crowdfunded balloon that’s being called the “Trump baby” — depicting Trump in a diaper using Twitter on his phone — also flew over the Houses of Parliament early Friday morning.
“This is a victory,” Leo Murray, an activist who created the balloon, told the New York Times. “People love it, he hates it, and it’s driven him out of London.”
“The only way to get through to him is to get down to his level and talk in a language he understands — one of personal insults,” he added.
“It’s going to swamp his Twitter feed,” Adam Cottrell, one of the other activists behind the balloon, told the Times. “There’s no way he doesn’t see this.”
In an interview with The Sun published on Thursday, Trump said he was aware of the planned 20-foot balloon and would avoid London due to the protests.
“I used to love London as a city. I haven’t been there in a long time,” Trump said. “But when they make you feel unwelcome, why would I stay there?”
“I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London.”
“The idea that we would park our rights and privileges and freedoms because it may cause offense to a U.S. president, I think people in London and the UK would find objectionable as indeed would Americans,” London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan, who approved the flight of the balloon, told BBC Radio 4 on Friday.
More than 15,000 people have signed a petition calling for the balloon to head to Scotland next and be flown near his Turnberry golf course there, which he is expected to visit on Saturday.
Many of the people who took to the streets of London were protesting Trump’s racism, homophobia, misogyny, and Islamophobia.
“Donald Trump doesn’t like women and that affects me,” one 10-year-old girl told HuffPost.
Muslim groups in London kick off Trump protests with outdoor Friday prayers pic.twitter.com/YvflRMRT1P
— Ceylan Yeginsu (@CeylanWrites) July 13, 2018
Anyway, here are some pictures of other cool signs and people protesting.
Even signs at Tube stations protested Trump’s visit to the country.
#FuckOffTrump pic.twitter.com/L0N4sKkuX2
— Pete 🇪🇺🇬🇧 (@Sarf_London) July 13, 2018
Trump was only in London Thursday night during a stay at the U.S. ambassador’s residence, and on Friday he traveled to Prime Minister Theresa May’s country home Chequers. There, he criticized immigration to Europe, tried to give May advice on the Brexit process, and once again said Boris Johnson would make a good prime minister.
There are protests planned for every leg of his U.K. visit. He will be met with protesters in Glasgow on Friday evening and in Edinburgh at noon on Saturday.
I’ve stepped off the tube on my way to the Trump protest to immediately find this ten foot tall structure. pic.twitter.com/lWiTmeqvRz
— Jamie Ross (@JamieRoss7) July 13, 2018