DEMO DAY FOR TRUMP:
Huge security operation to handle 250,000 marchers Corbyn to address rally as Prez snubs 1-on-1 with PM
AFTER being fawned over by the Royal Family, Donald Trump will get a quite different welcome from 250,000 protesters today. Scotland Yard has the area around Downing Street on “lockdown” with 10,000 police officers deployed to cope with a march on No10.
A rally at 11am in Trafalgar Square will hear Jeremy Corbyn condemn the President, who hit out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan yesterday. The Labour leader said: “The protest is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with those he’s attacked in America, around the world and in our country, including Sadiq Khan.” An eight-foot ring of steel has been erected around Winfield House, the US Ambassador’s residence in Regent’s Park, where Mr Trump is staying. Security sources say the bill for the whole visit will come to £40million. Today a “baby blimp” of Mr Trump in a nappy will fly over the city after Mr Khan’s team gave it the go-ahead. There will also be a large robot Trump on a gold toilet, shouting his phrases “stable genius” and “no collusion”. The TUC’s Frances O’Grady will tell the rally: “We should not roll out the red carpet for a man who takes the side of white supremacists, neo-fascists and women-haters.”
Last night, activists at Buckingham Palace tried to noisily disrupt the state banquet, hosted by the Queen.
Shakira Rahman, 11, held a sign saying: “Dear Queen, please don’t invite a sexist, racist bully to dinner.”
Amnesty International unfurled banners from Vauxhall Bridge, facing the US Embassy, which read “Resist sexism”, “Resist racism”, “Resist hate”, “Resist cruelty” and “Resist Trump”.
Kate Allen of Amnesty said: “It’s been a roll call of shame under Donald Trump’s presidency. We need to resist Trump’s trashing of human rights.”
Other protests took place yesterday including in Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow and Cardiff.
Today the Prime Minister hosts Mr Trump and wife Melania at No10 for lunch and talks with their delegations.
However, Downing Street said the pair will not sit down for a formal oneto-one meeting like the ones held with his presidential predecessors George W Bush and Barack Obama.
The unusual snub comes amid a row over allowing Chinese tech giant Huawei to run our 5G mobile network.
RISK
The President believes the firm, accused of being an arm of the Beijing government, poses a security risk.
He has threatened to withdraw US intelligence support if our Government goes ahead with the deal.
Mr Trump is also said to be more interested in meeting Mrs May’s potential successor at No10.
Sources close to Boris Johnson, who Mr Trump has controversially backed in the Tory leadership contest, say the former Foreign Secretary has not requested a private meeting.
And Mr Johnson’s team added he would not agree to meet if the Brexit Party’s Nigel Farage was in the room.
“There’s no way he’d sit down for hamburgers if Farage was there too,” they told the Mirror.
This morning Mrs May and Mr Trump will meet UK and US business leaders at St James’s Palace to talk about a post-Brexit trade deal.
Mr Trump yesterday tweeted: “Big Trade Deal is possible once UK gets rid of the shackles.”
And the White House added: “The President supports Brexit being accomplished in a way that will not affect global economic stability while securing independence to the UK.”
Tonight the Trumps host Charles and Camilla at Winfield House.
Tomorrow the President joins the Queen at a ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Southsea Common in Portsmouth, Hants, where security has been stepped up.
After that event the 1,000-strong presidential entourage flies to Ireland.
Yesterday, Mr and Mrs Trump met the Queen, Charles, Camilla and Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace and the President inspected bearskin cap-wearing Grenadier Guardsmen.
It’s been a roll call of shame in his presidency... We need to resist him KATY ALLEN
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL