Over 10,000 Police Called In To Protect Donald Trump As Protesters Gather In The United Kingdom
More than 10,000 police officers have been called in to protect Donald Trump as protesters gather to demonstrate against the American president when he lands in the United Kingdom.
Trump, who says that he is “loved” by the people of Britain, is planning a three-day stay in the U.K. According to The Hill, that three-day stay will ring up at $31,600,000 for security costs alone. The protective force will include snipers, helicopters, and bomb-sniffing dogs as authorities ramp up in preparation for what many are expecting to be a dramatic protester turnout in the country.
More than 250,000 protesters are expected to show up to various demonstrations against Trump, including one where a giant balloon version of the president dressed as a baby will likely float above the crowd.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan gave protesters permission to fly the giant orange balloon over the city’s Parliament Square on Tuesday, the second day of the president’s visit. The balloon isn’t a sure thing yet, however. The Stop Trump Coalition, which is spearheading the protest, also wants to raise over $37,000 in fundraising before it will fly the balloon.
Anna Vickerstaff of The Stop Trump Coalition says that they are trying to raise money to fight “the politics of hate and division,” according to The Hill.
“We’re all for making a joke out of Trump but we won’t let the opportunity pass to support those fighting the very serious impacts of what he’s doing,” she said.
Help raise £30k by 3rd June for groups supporting communities under attack by the far-right, and I will fly again above London on the 4th. Simple. https://t.co/TRU3ozXqlO #stillnotwelcome
— Trump Baby (@TrumpBabyUK) May 20, 2019
If the balloon does take to the air, it won’t be the first time the baby Trump has flown in protest of the president. In 2018, Khan allowed protesters to fly the balloon over Westminster to protest Trump’s 2018 visit to the country.
Trump is deeply unpopular in the United Kingdom, with a positive rating of just 21 percent in the country, according to NBC News. Former President Barack Obama, on the other hand, had a 72 percent approval rating.
Trump, however, believes otherwise.
“I don’t imagine any U.S. president was ever closer to your great land,” he told reporters. “Now I think I am really — I hope — I am really loved in the U.K. I certainly love the U.K.”
Trump has also said that while he used to love London, he doesn’t feel welcome there because of the protesters that he has encountered.
Last July, when Trump visited the country, he was met by thousands of protesters in the capital, and it’s expected that the situation will be similar this time around.
