Thousands of anti-Donald Trump protesters, carrying signs and chanting slogans, converged on central London on Wednesday to condemn the US president’s second state visit to the UK. London’s Metropolitan Police estimated the crowd at approximately 5,000 people, with the protest culminating in a large rally in front of parliament.
While Trump received a red-carpet welcome at Windsor Castle, located about 22 miles (35 kilometers) west of London, demonstrators marched in the heart of the British capital to show their disapproval on the first full day of his trip. “We’re protesting, I suppose, about everything about Donald Trump. You don’t know what placard to carry, really, there’s so many things” to dislike, 67-year-old former teacher Dave Lockett told AFP. He added, “He’s sowing destruction and disorder throughout the whole Earth… If Trump’s ideas get into this society, then what we’re talking about is fascism in Britain.”
Left-wing politicians, including new Green Party leader Zack Polanski, addressed the crowds in Parliament Square at the rally, which was hosted by comedian Nish Kumar. Regarding the invitation extended by the ruling centre-left Labour government, Polanski stated, “We are gathered here united to say this is not in our name.” He continued, “This is the moment to challenge everything Donald Trump stands for. This is the moment to reject the politics of hate and division.”
‘Hiding’
Protesters first gathered in the early afternoon near BBC headquarters, holding a variety of banners, flags, and signs with messages ranging from support for Palestinians to the rejection of fascism. Amid a chorus of drumming, some demonstrators displayed smaller replicas of the giant balloon depicting Trump in a nappy, which was famously flown during his first state visit in 2019.
Yashi Sriram, a 32-year-old doctor originally from India, held a placard that read: “End the genocide. Stop Trump.” She said, “I just wanted to show support for the people of Palestine, really, more than anything else.” The demonstration was organized by the Stop Trump Coalition, a broad alliance that included organizations such as Amnesty International UK, Black Lives Matter UK, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, and Greenpeace.
The coalition questioned why Trump would spend so little time in London during the visit. “Because he knows we’re protesting against him,” the group said in a statement before the march. “Instead, he’ll be hiding and having a sad little carriage ride all by himself in Windsor with a parade that no one will even see. This is because of the power of our protest.” At the evening rally, participants repeatedly chanted: “Say it loud, say it clear: Donald Trump is not welcome here,” as various speakers condemned him.
Trump’s Unpopularity
London’s Metropolitan Police deployed more than 1,600 officers—including 500 brought in from other forces—to ensure the event proceeded without incident. A purported counter-demonstration failed to materialize, and there were no reports of unrest or arrests. One lone protester, surrounded by police, held a sign that read: “We Love Trump,” drawing boos from the anti-Trump marchers.
Trump remains widely unpopular in Britain, with a new poll on Wednesday showing that almost half of the respondents believed it was wrong to invite him for a second state visit. According to the YouGov/Sky survey, only a quarter of those polled thought the visit would improve UK-US relations.
London mayor Sadiq Khan, a long-time critic of Trump who allowed the unflattering Trump baby blimp to be flown during the American president’s first-term visits, has been involved in a years-long feud with him. In an op-ed published Tuesday in The Guardian, Khan wrote: “Trump and his coterie have perhaps done the most to fan the flames of divisive, far-right politics around the world in recent years.” The article also mentioned a recent weekend rally in London organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, which was attended by an estimated 150,000 people and resulted in 26 police officers being injured in clashes on the periphery of the event. Khan, who became the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital in 2016, accused Trump of “scapegoating minorities, illegally deporting US citizens, deploying the military to the streets of diverse cities.” He concluded: “These actions aren’t just inconsistent with western values—they’re straight out of the autocrat’s playbook.”
