Donald Trump stokes Britain’s Brexit turmoil at start of visit
Donald Trump begins a protest-laden trip to Britain by questioning whether Theresa May will deliver on UK voters’ wish to quit the EU.
Donald Trump began a protest-laden trip to Britain overnight by questioning whether Prime Minister Theresa May will deliver on UK voters’ intentions when they decided to quit the European Union.
The convention-shredding US president ignored diplomatic niceties ahead of touching down for the four-day visit — his first to Britain since taking power — by rebuking his beleaguered host as she battles to stop her government falling apart over Brexit.
“The people voted to break it up (Britain’s ties with the EU),” Trump said in Brussels following a NATO summit there just before flying to London.
“So I would imagine that’s what they will do, but maybe they will take a little bit of a different route. I don’t know (if) that is what they voted for,” he added.
Asked about Trump’s remarks while also in Brussels, May said:
“What we are doing is delivering on the vote of the British people … that’s what our proposal does.”
The president and First Lady Melania Trump landed at Stansted Airport from where they were whisked by helicopter to Winfield House, the American diplomatic residence.
At a welcoming garden party, the Beatles track We Can Work It Out played in the background.
Protesters ready for Trump
Protesters were waiting for Donald Trump at every turn last night as the president arrived in the United Kingdom.
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Regents Park in London, close to Winfield House where Mr Trump and his wife Melania were staying as guests of the United States ambassador.
The crowd listened to speeches, participated in chants and made as much noise as possible to disturb the president who flew into the grounds in a helicopter.
A large police contingent, made up of officers brought in from around the country, patrolled the park and surrounding area and maintained a watch over protesters who were behind a temporary fence erected to keep them away from Winfield House.
The helicopter took to the air again about 7pm local time, bound for Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, where Mr Trump attended a dinner with Prime Minister Theresa May, her husband Philip and 150 guests.
Another 1000 protesters were assembled nearby, making similar noise to their counterparts in London.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International unfurled a colourful banner from the side of Vauxhall bridge over the river Thames that read: “human rights nightmare”, alongside a picture of the president.
More protests will be staged throughout the country on Friday, culminating in a rally at Trafalgar Square in central London that is expected to include up to 100,000 people.
A giant inflatable “baby Trump” blimp will fly over central London for two hours on Friday morning.
Most of the protests are coordinated by the Stop Trump Coalition, which is made up of dozens of other organisations including migrants’ rights groups, human rights groups, anti-poverty campaigners and environmental organisations.
Asad Rehman, one of the organisers of the Regent’s Park protest, said the UK should not be cosying up to the US leader.
“Donald Trump represents the politics of bigotry and hatred,” Mr Rehman told The Australian.
“He is a mirror of the rise of the far-right that we are seeing sweeping across the world.
“Whether it’s his war on migrants, his normalisation of sexual violence, his islamophobia or anti-muslim bigotry, or his planet-wrecking policies in climate change and his war on workers’ rights, those are all reasons why we need to reject that kind of politics.”
Mr Trump’s schedule will see him spend most of his time outside of central London and away from protesters.
“He’s having to hide away in country retreats and behind walls and fences,” Mr Rehman said.
“He’s not going to central London. That’s a message we wanted to send.”
Mr Rehman said the President would be aware of the “50 protests” taking place around the UK on Friday.
“There is no doubt that he can see, hear and know what’s going on, that he’s been rejected by the British people,” he said.
Protester Salim Mohamed, who was born in Egypt but has lived in the UK for 50 years, said he opposed Mr Trump’s policies on immigration.
“It’s not right, we are human,” he said.
“I do hope he gets the message and that some American people who have been brainwashed start to wake up now.”
Protesters banged pots and pans, blew into whistles and trumpets to try to be heard by the President during his time at Winfield House in the afternoon.
Some planned to stay all night in a bid to disrupt Mr Trump’s sleep.
Michelle Hannoosh, of Michigan in the US, said it was only the second time in her life that she had protested, the first being against the Iraq war in 2003.
She was concerned by the US backing out of important multilateral agreements.
“He’s taken us out of so many agreements, the Paris climate change agreement and the Iran nuclear deal,” Ms Hannoosh said.
“He’s been a disaster for our country.
“I felt it was important to come today and I will be at the protest tomorrow as well.”
Dinner at Churchill’s birthplace
Trump arrived in Britain after a fraught NATO summit in Brussels where he piled pressure on allies to double their defence spending.
He is due to leave on Sunday for talks in Helsinki the following day with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose government May has accused of unleashing a lethal nerve agent in the city of Salisbury.
Russia has strongly denied the charge.
Britain “is in somewhat turmoil”, Trump said before departing Washington, remarking that dealing with Putin might surprisingly be the easiest part of the European trip.
That turmoil includes the resignations of May’s Brexit and foreign ministers over her plan to retain close ties with the EU after leaving the bloc in March.
May hosted Trump for a black-tie dinner with business leaders at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of World War II prime minister Winston Churchill.
He is due to stay overnight back at Winfield House, where demonstrators plan to play recordings of migrant children held in US detention centres.
On Friday, May and Trump will hold talks, expected to focus on Brexit and Russia, at the prime minister’s Chequers country residence followed by a press conference.
Trump next heads to Windsor Castle for tea with the queen, as protesters stage a mass demonstration in London.
He then travels north to Scotland where he will spend the weekend privately, joined by son Eric Trump. Trump’s late mother hailed from Scotland, and he owns two luxury golf courses there.
With AFP
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