A coalition of activists, trade unions and Members of Parliament have pledged to hold the “biggest demonstrations in UK history” when Donald Trump makes his state visit to Britain later this year.
The organization, known as "Stop Trump," says the wave of protests will last numerous days during Trump’s visit and will follow the President around the country, to “hold up a mirror to our own society” over the rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric and hate crimes in a post-Brexit climate.
So prolific is the Stop Trump movement that the coalition has taken on a permanent member of staff to coordinate the protests. The campaign has already managed to raise more than £16,000 via crowdsourcing. A further £10,000 has been donated to the group from the trade union Unison.
Several other of the biggest trade unions in Britain are supporting the protests, including the National Union of Students and GMB.
Politicians from the Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and the Green Party are showing solidarity with the movement. Numerous charities are also backing the Stop Trump message, including Friends of the Earth and Global Justice Now. Organizers say the coalition is not managed or controlled by one particular group and is “committed to real diversity of tactics.”
A Day of Action for Migrant Solidarity
The Stop Trump program of opposition commenced on February 19, with a migrant solidarity rally in London, where thousands gathered in Parliament Square. Rallies took place in other U.K. cities as well in the nationwide day of action against Trump.
The demonstration had been arranged just as a parliamentary debate was taking place about Trump’s state visit to Britain and whether to deny the U.S. president a formal visit to the country. The Parliamentary debate was triggered following an online petition calling for government to cancel Trump’s state visit, which garnered more than 1.8 million signatures.
Stop Trump linked its events across the U.K. with another anti-Trump campaign known as One Day Without Us, raising awareness about the contribution immigrants make to the U.K.’s economy and society.
A series of speakers spoke at the Parliament Square rally, noting the need to build a movement that unites across a spectrum of views and organisations. A statement on the event’s Facebook page read: “We are calling for a nationwide day of action to stand up and say no to the future of hatred, racism and division that Donald Trump is trying to create – and to say no to the disgraceful complicit of Theresa May and the British government in supporting him.”
Prior to the event, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, explained why she would be attending the migrant solidarity rally, telling the Guardian: “On Monday evening I will be joining thousands of others in calling out Trump’s Islamophobia and racism and making clear that we expect our government to stand up to bigotry, not meekly back away from confronting it.”
A "Flag Mob" Effort to Show Support to Migrants
Demonstrators linked arms in a gesture to show their solidarity and appreciation of migrants. Many protestors carried flags representing their country of birth as part of a “flag mob” effort to show how many different nationalities are represented in the U.K.
High-profile figures spoke at the rally, including comic Shappu Khorsandi, and a number of celebrities are backing the Stop Trump action, including singer Paloma Faith who told the Metro: “I’m backing the protests because I believe in human rights and compassion and Trump evidently does not.”
Trump’s Visit Still Endorsed by UK Government
Despite the angry recoil toward Trump's state visit, and widespread outrage over his travel ban on refugees and Muslims, Downing Street announced that its position on the President’s visit has not changed.
During the Parliamentary debate, Sir Alan Duncan, the U.K.’s foreign office minister, told MPs at Westminster Hall that the state visit offers a “special moment for the special relationship.” Duncan went on to say that state visits are not only “rare and prestigious occasions” but they are also Britain’s “most important diplomatic tool,” enabling the U.K. to “strengthen and influence those international relationships that are of the greatest strategic importance to this country.”
As Labour’s Paul Flynn highlighted at the debate, Trump will be only the third U.S. president to be given the honour of a state visit to Britain. Obama received the invitation after 758 days in office, while his predecessor, George W. Bush, was only given the honour after 978 days at the White House. Trump, by comparison, was offered a state visit after just seven days.
A state visit to the U.K. involves the guest being accompanied by the Queen in an incredibly pomp-filled ceremony. Flynn reiterated earlier comments made by the former foreign office secretary, Lord Ricketts, who said the Queen has now been put in a “very difficult position.”
Perhaps the most ludicrous remark at the Parliamentary debate came from Sir Alan Duncan, who said he expected Trump to be politely welcomed into Britain. “The visit should happen, the visit will happen and when it does I trust the United Kingdom will extend a polite and generous welcome to President Donald Trump,” Duncan said.
Uttering those words as thousands demonstrated in protest outside Westminster was perceived by many as naïve, ironic and ludicrous. A far cry from extending a "polite and generous welcome" to Trump, Stop Trump and its snowballing opposition toward the president's state visit are preparing quite the opposite: one of the biggest demonstrations in British history to make clear not only to the U.K. government, but to the world, that Donald's Trump’s visit “is not in our name.”
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