Mass protests planned for Donald Trump visit to Britain

High steel fence erected around US ambassador’s residence in London ahead of mass protests planned for Trump visit.

A six-metre high cartoon baby blimp of Donald Trump stands inflated during a practice session in north London. Picture: AP.

Police are planning to face 100,000 protesters in London during President Trump’s four-day visit to Britain.

The biggest mobilisation of officers since the 2011 riots is needed to deal with the patchwork of groups criticising the US president’s politics and morals. It is estimated that it will cost up to pounds 10 million.

In anticipation of the unprecedented vitriol directed at a serving president, the US embassy told Americans to keep a low profile and “exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings that may become violent”.

Mr Trump is due to land this afternoon before attending a black-tie dinner at Blenheim Palace in his honour, where protesters will gather at the gates. He will spend his only night in London on Thursday night (local time) at the US ambassador’s official residence, Winfield House in Regent’s Park, which has been surrounded by a 9ft-high steel fence and concrete bollards.

Residents said the fencing had never been deployed round the ambassador’s residence for a presidential visit before. Workmen erecting the “ring of steel” said that they had been called “murderers” and asked how they slept at night by people walking through the park.

Pauline Watson, 73, from St John’s Wood, north London, said the security fence cutting through the park was “absolutely disgusting . . . It looks like a war zone. He has brought his wall to England and it’s ridiculous. When Obama came here there was nothing like this. It shows you just how hated the man is.”

A nine foot fence is going up outside Winfield House in Regents Park. Picture: Getty Images.

An all-night protest on the perimeter fence called Keep Trump Awake is scheduled to start at 8pm on Thursday night local time (5am AEST). Protesters are encouraged to bring pots and pans, drums and vuvuzelas.

On Friday Mr Trump will visit Sandhurst with Theresa May before the leaders have a working lunch at Chequers. A farmer whose field is on the flight path has allowed a crop circle to be made in his wheat field which spells out in Russian“F*** Trump”.

You been busy Sir? This appeared in a crop circle it says "F**k Trump" in Russian on his flight path. pic.twitter.com/pdeqRVpehp

— Al Nash (@Mad_Al) July 11, 2018

The main protests will take place in London on Friday, including a 20ft high inflatable of Mr Trump depicted as an angry baby in a nappy in Parliament Square. More than 50,000 people are expected to join the Together Against Trump march and rally, organised by left-wing campaign groups including the Stop the War Coalition. Chris Nineham, its vice-chairman, has said the movement’s aim is “opposing the West”. It takes a pro-Kremlin line in international conflicts and its patrons include Diane Abbott,the shadow home secretary. A Women’s March is also expected to have tens of thousands of protesters.

While these demonstrations take place Mr Trump and his wife, Melania, after passing over the offending wheatfield in Buckinghamshire, will travel to Windsor Castle to meet the Queen before flying to Scotland, where he is expected to visit his Trump Turnberry golf resort and be greeted by a small but hardy band of protesters. The last time he was there, on the day of the Brexit result, he was met with a large banner that read: “Donald Trump is a C***”.

Police have objected at having to send officers to support other forces to beef up security. Thousands of officers are being diverted to Scotland and southern England to police protests and provide extra security. West Midlands police has had to cancel 1,000 “rest days” owed to officers so that it can send staff to help to keep Mr Trump secure and to ensure that there are enough officers on duty in its own area.

The Times