Demonstrators say "Trumpism directly threatens steps towards tackling" inequality, peace and disarmament, climate change, discrimination, and corporate greed, writes Jessica Corbett.
Hundreds of thousands of anti-Trump demonstrators took to the streets of London and in separate protests across the Britain on July 13 in a massive and historic show of opposition to a sitting US president.
After Donald Trump was with angry protesters as he arrived in London on July 12 to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May, a over the city early on Friday, July 13 as the massive "Carnival of Resistance" protests — which are to last through the weekend — kicked off.
While May and Trump then delivered a at Chequers, tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets for the main event— to Trafalgar Square in Central London, where anti-Trump Britons plan to host a rally Friday evening, despite that British officials aimed to curtail protests.
Participants shared updates on social media with the hashtags , , , and .
Several of the events have been organised by the Stop Trump Coalition, which played a key role in Trump's previous and that "Trumpism directly threatens steps towards tackling" several issues including inequality, peace and disarmament, climate change, fighting discrimination — "particularly against already marginalised groups like migrants and Muslims" — and corporate greed. The Trump administration's has further fueled widespread outrage and opposition to his visit.
In a for the Guardian on July 12, Owen Jones, who is part of the coalition, noted that "some of the establishment opposition has focused on Trump's vulgarity, his manners, that he is somehow unpresidential, rather than his political substance and what he represents," and emphasised the importance of protesting against Trump's actions and policies.
"Yes, Trump is a contemptible misogynist, an anti-Muslim bigot, a scapegoater of migrants, a man whose administration and locks them in cages," he wrote. "Yet the protests against him must not see him simply as a pantomime villain, but as the chief representative of an extremely dangerous global movement."
Video: Corbyn speaks at Trump protest: 'We're united in hope' - .
Earlier in the day, the held a March followed by a 2pm rally in Parliament Square. "His presidency has been characterized by the spreading of fear, hate, and conflict worldwide," the group's website . "These are not our values."
The demonstrations followed protests the day before, including the global consumer group SumOfUs projecting the message "resist Trumpism everywhere" onto the Palace of Westminster, London's iconic Marble Arch, and Cable Street in the East End.
"As he begins his visit to the U.K., SumOfUs members want to express their solidarity with people in the United States who suffer at the hands of President Trump. But our message is also for people around the world, wherever they are," said senior campaigner Sondhya Gupta. "The U.S. president's policies are part of a growing, international tide of hatred, bigotry, and corporate greed that must stop."
[Reposted from . See more images of protester placards below also reposted from .]