A DEMONSTRATION against Donald Trump’s state visit unprecedented second state visit to the UK in September has been announced.
Activists from Stop Trump Coalition, a group of campaigners from across the UK "determined to resist Trump and Trumpism", have called the mass demonstration for the first day of Trump's visit, Wednesday, September 17.
The protest will assemble at London’s Embankment at 2pm and march to a rally at 5pm in an as-yet-unconfirmed location.
Further protests are also being planned as more details of the visit are known, including one in Windsor around Windsor Castle where the King and Queen will host the president and his wife, Melania Trump.
Stop Trump Coalition spokesperson Seema Syeda said: “This will be a massive protest against Trump’s state visit. Trump and his authoritarian politics are not welcome here. Keir Starmer should not be rolling out the red carpet for Trump.
She added that "they are already running scared" after the dates were announced and it became clear the House of Commons would be in recess, meaning the president will not be able to address Parliament as French president Emmanuel Macron did during his state visit this week.
"They have chosen the first possible date that stops Trump from being able to address Parliament," she said. "We know that Trump is deeply unpopular with the public. We mobilised hundreds of thousands of people against Trump during his first term, and he has only got worse since then.
"We are working at speed to bring together all the movements – for democracy, for equality, against climate change, for a free Palestine – to show our unity against Trump.”
Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now who are part of the Stop Trump Coalition said: “Trump is engaged in economic warfare against both friend and foe.
"He’s bullying countries, including the UK, to give in to the demands of American multinational corporations. And he’s taking his own country down an increasingly fascist path – crushing the rights of Americans, ignoring the courts, threatening the media and universities.
"Why on earth would we want to accord this man a second state visit? 78% of Britons have a negative view of Trump, and with good reason. If Starmer won’t stand up to Trump, we will – by taking to the streets as part of the growing global resistance against Trump and the oligarchs that surround him.”
Former Commons speaker John Bercow opposed Trump appearing in Parliament during his first term in office and 20 MPs have signed a motion resisting an invitation being issued this time around.
This week, French president Macron and his wife Brigitte were hosted by the King and Queen during his three-day state visit.
Macron’s itinerary included a glittering state banquet at Windsor Castle, a carriage ride through the historic Berkshire town and a ceremonial welcome.
The state dinner was attended by the Queen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Prime Minister and senior members of the Cabinet.
SNP MP Stephen Gethins said the Prime Minister should focus on relations with the EU rather than Trump, "an increasingly unreliable ally".
"While there is an obvious need to engage, rolling out the red carpet of a state visit is the wrong approach when dealing with Trump," Gethins told The National. "Since his election, the US President has damaged the global economy, including the UK, with punitive tariffs.
"He has removed support from Ukraine and damaged the international rules based system that keeps us safe all the while floating dangerous plans for Gaza. Instead of rewarding Trump’s bad behaviour,
"Keir Starmer should be focused on rebuilding and deepening ties with our European partners with the United States so clearly becoming an increasingly unreliable ally."
