A date has been set for Donald Trump’s visit: now let’s plan the biggest protest in UK history

A million or more could march against the President when he visits in February.

Donald Trump’s visit is going ahead – and now we have a date. 

In the face of overwhelming calls for it to be cancelled, the Prime Minister is ploughing ahead with plans to welcome the disgraced US President – despite him promoting far-right groups in the UK and beyond.

After (presumably disgruntled) sources leaked the date of the trip, anti-racism campaigners are now planning what they hope will be among the biggest demonstrations in British history, set to rival the anti-war protests of the early 2000s.

The demonstrations will converge on the US Embassy and 10 Downing Street.

Put it in your diaries: the 26th-27th February 2018.

According to reports in the Sunday Times, which broke the story, Theresa May has been somewhat, ahem, economical with the truth:

“Despite claims by Theresa May that no date has been set for the US president’s first visit to the UK since entering the White House, the trip has been in the diary for at least 10 days, according to those familiar with the plans.

“The timing of the visit, which is expected to coincide with the opening of the new US embassy in London, remains unchanged despite last week’s diplomatic row.”

A million or more people could join the demonstration, according to organisers.

That figure doesn’t seem impossible, given that nearly two million people signed the petition calling for Trump’s proposed visit to be downgraded.

The Stop Trump group said on Facebook:

“If Donald Trump attempts to sneak into the UK to open the US Embassy on 26/27th February 2018 and also pop into see Theresa May at Downing Street – he will be met by a million of us attempting a citizens arrest of him for incitement to racial hatred.”

Owen Jones launched the demonstration on Twitter:

Left Foot Forward will be covering plans for the protest over the coming months. Watch this space.

Now let’s make this the biggest protest in Britain’s history. Join the Facebook event here, and see you on the streets…

Josiah Mortimer is Editor of Left Foot Forward. Follow him on Twitter.

6 Responses to “A date has been set for Donald Trump’s visit: now let’s plan the biggest protest in UK history”

  1. Sheila Chettle

    Although I doubt if I will be able to be there, I totally support the protest. He will not be welcome. There can be no royal reception – the Queen must not be subjected to such an insult. And no Parliament reception – the Speaker has already made it clear that he is not wanted there. If he has to be allowed to come, it must be on a very small scale, except for the protests.

  2. Chester Draws

    Trump is an ass, but he’s far from the worst foreign leader to visit the UK. Why not protest when President Xi visited?

    For all Trump’s racism, it isn’t a patch on what Xi does to Tibetans and Uighurs. For all Trump’s support of nasty right wingers, Xi supports the vile North Korean regime and propped up Mugabe. It’s not even clear that Trump is more pro-business, given the current business activities permitted in China.

    It’s all a disguise to hide the lack of cohesion in the Left. Because everyone can stand side by side to say they dislike Trump doesn’t mean they agree on anything else. Large quantities of the Right don’t like Trump, for goodness sake!

    Trump stands for re-election in three years. When did Xi stand for re-election? By all means protest against democratically elected leaders — it’s your right — but by not protesting against worse tyrants just makes you look like hypocrites.

  3. greg

    The British Left are now no different to the Brownshirts of 1930’s Germany.

  4. Roy Jenkins

    why should he come?
    1* He not just come because of his personal attitude to the Migrant worker plus people in U.S.
    2* We in U.K. believe in freedom for all no matter what raise you are or color.
    3* Is Tory Govt Ms May and her cronies going to pay for his visite here to U.K. not us taxpayer in U.K.
    As a lot of us residents in U.K. do not wish him to come so we should not pay for visite FULL STOP!
    4* Tory Govt wish to bow down to him and him to come to U.K.
    They can pay the the FULL bill out of their Tory party funds not taxpayer cash pot.
    for a president that is not wanted in our country for any reason.
    5*Trade with us will not suffer just because he dose not come to U.K.
    the U.S.people will see to that not Mr Tromp (SO NO HE SHOULD NOT COME FULL STOP!)

  5. Jay ginn

    I suggest a good date for Trumps visit would be Feb 29 – and not in a leap year.

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