Thousands demonstrators descended on London on Wednesday to protest against Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK.
While the US president toured Windsor, protestors marched wearing Trump masks, holding banners and miniature versions of the Trump baby blimp – marking back to his first state visit in 2019.
Campaigners from as many as 50 groups are believed to have taken part in the action, with officers at the protest estimating at least 3,000 people turned up.
One protestor, the son of a holocaust survivor, said he was protesting against Trump’s alliance with Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Richard Wistreich told ITV News: “We know that President Trump is the one individual probably in the entire world who now has the power in his own hands to bring a stop to this terrible, terrible thing that is happening to the people of Gaza. He could do that.”
Another demonstrator, who only gave the name Janet, said that while the UK has to maintain diplomatic relations with the US, the pomp and ceremony is a step too far.
“I’m protesting against the unprecedented second state visit.
“Trump, unfortunately, is the president and is allowed to come, but we shouldn’t be rolling out the red carpet for a man who is tearing up the American Constitution.”
Politicians and famous faces spoke at the Stop Trump Coalition rally in Parliament Square, organised by comedian Nish Kumar.
Kumar said last week’s Unite the Kingdom protest puts the UK in “an incredibly scary position”.
He said he is “incredibly scared right now” but urged protesters to come together before leading a chant of “say it loud, say it clear, Donald Trump’s not welcome here”.
“We have a common aim, there are more of us than there are of them, let’s not give up this fight,” Kumar said.
Some protesters held banners which read: “No to the racism, no to Trump,”
Musician and activist Billy Bragg performed for the crowd. Before the 67-year-old sang his protest song Hundred Year Hunger, he told onlookers that Trump could end the war in Gaza with “one word”.
Co-leaders of the new political party Your Party, Jeremy Corbyn and Zara Sultana, also took to the stage.
Former leader of the Labour Party Corbyn said “well done” to the activists who projected an image of Donald Trump and paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein onto Windsor Castle.
Four people from political campaign group Led By Donkeys were arrested for the stunt, on suspicion of malicious communications.
Corbyn said: “There’s something very sinister about our times when peaceful protest becomes terrorism: when an ad van going around Windsor Castle perfectly legally is then stopped by the police, taken away, and those people prevented from expressing a point of view.
“This is what’s happening to our democratic rights and democratic values in our society. They take away the right to protest because they don’t want us to protest.”
Thames Valley Police said its officers had spoken with the driver of an ad van which showed a picture of Trump with Epstein, adding that no arrests were made and no vehicles were seized.
The projection onto Windsor Castle was a nine-minute-long film by Led By Donkeys, which went over the history of Trump’s links to Epstein, including the recent release by US legislators of documents.
One document released is a letter to Epstein as part of his 50th birthday celebrations, allegedly signed by the US President.
The film was projected from a hotel room with a direct view over the castle as an act of “peaceful protest”, a spokesperson for the campaign group said.
“My colleagues were arrested for malicious communications, which seems ridiculous, because we’ve done 25 or 30 projections before, no-one’s ever been arrested,” the spokesperson said.
“In fact, sometimes the police have just watched while we’ve done it.
“So suddenly, because it’s Trump, you get this reaction, which is surprising, disappointing and very heavy-handed from police.
“I think they’ve been arrested for embarrassing Donald Trump. It’s because Donald Trump’s got a very thin skin. They’re protecting his ego.”
Thames Valley Police said on Tuesday: “We take any unauthorised activity around Windsor Castle extremely seriously.
“Our officers responded swiftly to stop the projection and four people have been arrested.
“We are conducting a thorough investigation with our partners into the circumstances surrounding this incident and will provide further updates when we are in a position to do so.”
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