Massive protests greet Trump in UK

World Today

It wasn’t all trade talks and tea for U.S. President Donald Trump in Britain. He was greeted by tens of thousands of protesters. They marched through the streets across the nation, demonstrating against Trump’s working visit to Britain.

CGTN’s Kate Parkinson reports from London.

Donald Trump didn’t need an opinion poll to gauge his popularity in London. All he had to do was look up—a 20-foot blimp of Donald Trump as an angry baby kicked off a day of nationwide protests against the U.S. president.

It’s unlikely Trump will see his inflatable likeness in person. The president appears to be avoiding London during his U.K. visit.

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of the capital on Friday, their placards making it clear what they think of Trump.

“I don’t like what Donald Trump stands for, plain and simple. I think his government represents at attack on our liberal democracies and the principles that underlie them,” said one protester in London.

“We’ve made it pretty obvious that we do not want him and we don’t want his kind anywhere near us, thank you,” said another protester.

But Trump hasn’t been able to avoid the protesters, completely. Demonstrations have been planned at each stage of his visit.

When Marine One touched down at the U.S. ambassador’s residence Thursday evening, protesters were there to greet him.

They were waiting for him at Blenheim Palace where he and his wife, Melania, were guests of honor at a gala dinner.

They turned up outside the Prime Minister’s countryside residence, Chequers, where the two held talks on Friday morning, and they were outside Windsor Castle when Trump had afternoon tea with the Queen.

Before he came to Britain, Trump was asked if he was concerned about protests. He replied, “I think they like me there,” but the tens of thousands of people on Friday turned out to tell him otherwise.


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