Americans in UK warned to lie low this week
LONDON: The State Department is warning Americans “to keep a low profile” and “be aware of your surroundings” this week.
Demonstrations are planned against US President Donald Trump in London, as well as Windsor, Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Cambridge, Cardiff, Glasgow and the west coast of Scotland, where he has a golf course.
While tomorrow Trump is having lunch with British Prime Minister Theresa May at her Chequers country estate or sipping tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, tens of thousands of demonstrators are planning to gather in London’s Trafalgar Square to protest against the president and his policies.
They plan to loft a large blimplike balloon over Westminster Palace, depicting a bronzed “Trump Baby” in a pair of nappies, clutching a cellphone.
Trump will spend tonight in London at Winfield House, the official residence of US Ambassador to Britain Robert “Woody” Johnson. The US ambassador has told reporters that Americans respect peaceful protest. The embassy also warned Americans, however, to “exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings that may become violent.”
The British are usually polite – although they have been known to go off after a soccer match or once the pubs close.
Yesterday, the Guardian newspaper reported, “The UK police mobilisation for Trump’s visit would be the largest since the 2011 English riots”, when London was shocked by five days of violence and unrest, with a deployment of 10 000 police. Organisers of anti-Trump rallies say they are not expecting any trouble at all.
Asad Rehman, 51, one of the organisers of a massive protest planned for central London, said that among the motivations behind the protest was to show solidarity with Americans who also oppose Trump.
John Scardino, 58, a teacher from the US who has lived in Britian for 18 years, is dubious that the embassy alert would have any effect on protest crowd size.