Snarling baby Trump takes flight over London

After a giant unflattering balloon depicting Donald Trump in a nappy flew over London, opponents began to mass.

A six-metre high cartoon baby blimp of US President Donald Trump hovers next to the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Thousands of protesters have gathered in Whitehall in London to protest against the UK visit of Donald Trump.

A small group of counter protesters and Free Tommy Robinson advocates, including Avi Yemini from the Australian Liberty Alliance, have been encircled by dozens of police to stop them from mingling with the anti-Trump marchers.

The rally, which organisers believe will be attended by 100,000 people, started several hours ahead of a rally planned for 5.30pm local time at Trafalgar Square.

Whitehall was closed off from the Palace of Westminster to Trafalgar Square during the march.

Earlier, opponents of Mr Trump flew a six-metre balloon depicting the US President as an orange, snarling nappy-wearing baby just outside the British parliament.

President Donald Trump did not see the balloon himself, having left his London accommodation in a helicopter bound for Chequers, where he was to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May.

Supporters of President Trump, visible in bright red Make American Great Again caps, mixed with the protesters but there were no scenes of violence.

Mr Trump, who arrived in Britain on Thursday, told the Sun newspaper planned protests against him in London and other British cities made him feel unwelcome so he was avoiding the capital as much as possible.

“I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London,” Trump told the newspaper.

“I used to love London as a city. I haven’t been there in a long time. But when they make you feel unwelcome, why would I stay there?” Britain regards its close ties with the United States, which it calls the special relationship, as a pillar of its foreign policy and Prime Minister Theresa May has courted Trump ahead of the country’s departure from the European Union.

Mr Trump said the blimp made him feel unwelcome in Britain.

But some Britons see Mr Trump as crude, volatile, unreliable and opposed to their values on a range of issues. More than 64,000 people have signed up to demonstrate in London against his visit while other protests are expected around the country.

A few hundred people gathered to watch the balloon launch in Parliament Square, with organisers of the stunt wearing red boiler suits and red baseball caps emblazoned with “TRUMP BABYSITTER”.

After counting down from 10 to 1 a cheer went up as the large balloon rose to fly around 10 metres off the ground, next to parliament and the River Thames. Organiser Daniel Jones, a charity communications officer aged 26, said they were trying to make people laugh as well as making a serious point. “It’s also about giving a boost to those in America resisting his policies,” he said.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was criticised by Trump in the Sun interview for failing to control crime and prevent militant attacks, gave his blessing for the balloon to be flown and rejected suggestions this showed a lack of respect to the US president.

The blimp is being flown as a protest against Trump’s visit.

— with Reuters