As part of a week of resistance to Trump and Trumpism, tens of thousands turned out in London on Wednesday 17 September to say that Trump is not welcome in the UK. This turnout joined protests across the country, including in Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, and more, to show the depth and breadth of the resistance to the far-right fascist politics of Trump in the UK.
In fact, Trump didn’t dare to show his face in public – not in London, and not in Windsor either, where locals spontaneously protested, and activists highlighted the relationship between Trump and convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Tens of thousands of protesters told Trump he’s not welcome in the UK
The Labour Party government has hidden Trump’s “state visit” behind the walls of Windsor Castle and now Chequers. It knows it cannot do anything public, because it knows the public overwhelmingly rejects Donald Trump. A recent YouGov poll found that 70% of Britons dislike the American president and over 50% believe the government should not have honoured him with this state visit.
Over 60 campaign groups supported the national demonstration bringing together issues from Palestine to the climate crisis to migrants’ rights, and a wide range of creative expressions of resistance.
Speakers including politicians, journalists, and grassroots campaigners showed the breadth of the movement. Together, they made the links between opposing Trump and fighting the rise of the Trump-inspired far right in the UK. Author and journalist George Monbiot said:
By rolling out the red carpet for Trump, they are rolling out the red carpet for Nigel Farage.
Not the end to Trumpism, not the end to resistance against it
In contrast to the violent far-right march last weekend, the Met heavily overpoliced the Stop Trump protest. This is especially galling considering it saw no violence against counter protestors or police, no drunkenness or arrests, and no anti-democratic calls for the dissolution of parliament.
After securing a tech deal which surrenders to US tech giants access to our data and other resources, Trump is leaving the UK. But this is not the end of the opposition to Trump and Trumpism – it is just the beginning. Stop Trump Coalition and partner organisations will be helping people organise within their communities to build an ongoing, grassroots opposition to Trumpism and the global far right.
Featured image via YouTube screenshot/Guardian News
