London mayor Sadiq Khan came in for stringent criticism on Friday for allowing protestors to fly a six-metre angry baby balloon Westminster when US President Donald Trump arrives next week on a visit when mass demonstrations are planned.
Khan, who was the subject of Trump’s tweets after the June 2017 London Bridge terror attack and opposed his visit to the UK, has granted permission to ‘Project Trump Baby’, the inflatable version of the president for which activists raised £16,000.
But Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party known for his proximity to Trump, said: “I think to have allowed this blimp, it’s a step too far. Would you have allowed this to happen if it was of Obama?”
Farage said on radio on Friday: “Sadiq, you might not like Mr Trump, you might not like his style, you might find him very confrontational and you didn’t like the so-called Muslim ban. But Sadiq where were you when President Obama introduced a total ban on refugees coming from seven predominantly Muslim countries?”
A statement from Khan’s office said: “The mayor supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms. His city operations team have met with the organisers and have given them permission to use Parliament Square Garden as a grounding point for the blimp”.
{{/usCountry}}A statement from Khan’s office said: “The mayor supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms. His city operations team have met with the organisers and have given them permission to use Parliament Square Garden as a grounding point for the blimp”.
{{/usCountry}}Demonstrations are scheduled by organisations such as the Trade Union Congress, Stop the War, Friends of the Earth and pro-Labour Momentum. Demonstrations are planned at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, Regent’s Park, London, and at the US ambassador’s residence.
Trump is scheduled to meet Queen Elizabeth most likely on Friday at Windsor Castle. He will then travel to Scotland, where he owns two golf courses. Demonstrations are also scheduled in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
A spokesperson for campaign group Together Against Trump said: “We regard it as a victory that Donald Trump does not appear to have any official engagements in London or anywhere with a large population. Instead he will stay hidden away in country estates and castles.”