UK united on Friday as tens and thousands of people took to the streets, especially in London and around, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast, protesting against Donald Trump. The US President who was in the UK for 4 days, admitted he felt 'unwelcomed' because of them.
There was a carnival atmosphere with music, dancing, the bashing of pots and pans and a forest of often witty, sometimes crude placards. The tone was set in London by a four-metre-high orange 'Trump baby' that was floated above Parliament Square, and placards with slogans such as “No Fan of Fake Tan Man”, “How Dare You Combover here” and “Free Melania”. But there was anger too at what many perceived as Trump’s racism, misogyny and climate change policy.
Many from the Asian community participated in the protest, along with entrepreneurs and professionals. Shefali Akhtar, walking with a placard saying 'Go away Trump'. Speaking to Asian Voice near Trafalgar square she said, “I am appalled by UK government's decision to invite Trump to the UK. He is not welcome here.”
Akram Patel told the newsweekly, "He is not fit to be a leader. I am ashamed of his policies, especially towards immigrants."
Tan Dhesi MP attended the anti-Trump protest outside Windsor Castle and called for solidarity for all those who were opposed to the President Trump visiting Britain. The MP was joined by hundreds of people who thronged the streets of Windsor in a large and colourful demonstration against a visit that aroused deep opposition in the UK.
He said, "This is not about Labour, Lib-Dems or the Tories. It’s not even about Democrats or the Republicans and nor is our protest aimed at the American people. This is about the racist, misogynist and homophobic views that Trump holds and are not welcome in this country. It is time that our Prime Minister stops trying to hold his hand and instead begins to hold him to account."
While President Trump continues to attack London's Mayor Sadiq Khan, calling him 'unfit' for his job, Prime Minister Theresa May stood up for the Mayor and reportedly said, “I have made clear on a number of occasions to President Trump that some of the views he expresses about the United Kingdom on these issues are not those that the Government shares.”
Sadiq Khan hit back at “preposterous” claims by Donald Trump after the US president criticised the London mayor for doing a “a bad job” on terrorism and crime in the capital. Khan reportedly responded on Friday morning, saying terrorism was a global problem, with people dying all over Europe. “What is interesting is Trump is not criticising mayors of those cities, but he is criticising me,” he said in an interview on the BBC’s Today programme.
Trump’s comments blaming immigration for crime in England were “preposterous”, he added.
“There has been an increase in violent crime across England and Wales … it’s gone up by more than 20% … and by 4% in London ... We must deal with the causes, but also enforcement and where we have lost £7m in our budget in London I have invested £4m ... (but) the idea to blame immigration from Africa is preposterous, and we should call him out when does,” he said.
