Stop Trump Coalition: ‘Trump Not Welcome’ protest to take place in London to show 'Britain rejects hate, division' - days after Tommy Robinson rally

The protest will take place on Wednesday (17 September), the day Donald Trump arrives in the UK for his state visit. It comes after Tommy Robinson’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ march which took place on Saturday 13 September.

Unofficial estimates put the size of the protest at 50,000 just before 10am. Pockets of the crowd started chanting “f**k you Starmer” while many were wearing or holding England and Union flags. The Stop Trump Coalition posted on its website: “Today saw the UK’s largest fascist mobilisation for decades. The far-right march led by convicted criminal Stephen Yaxley-Lennon aka Tommy Robinson has been violent and ugly.

“These people do not represent the majority of British people — and they have been emboldened by a political class that relentlessly scapegoats migrants and refugees. In deep contrast to today’s shameful scenes, Wednesday’s ‘Trump Not Welcome’ demonstration is a chance to show our government and the world that Britain rejects hate, division, and authoritarianism, and we are united in our vision for bringing people and communities together.”

A Stop Trump Coalition spokesperson said: “There is a clear and growing link between the international far right in the US and UK, exemplified on Saturday by Elon Musk, a figurehead of the American far right, addressing the crowd. Trump’s politics have encouraged this resurgence of hate in both countries. Instead of confronting the problem, and offering real and meaningful solutions, Starmer’s government is appeasing Donald Trump with a state visit that polls show most British people are opposed to.

“Starmer rolling out the red carpet for Trump sends a deeply dangerous message and does nothing to provide support to communities seeing a surge in racism in the UK. He is missing in action at a time when the UK needs strong leadership to face down the far right. We’re calling on everyone who opposes today’s scenes to join us on Wednesday and say: not in our name. This protest isn’t just about Trump — it’s about what kind of country we want to be.”

The protest on Wednesday is “expected to draw very large numbers and will feature speakers from a broad spectrum of campaigning and grassroots organisations”, according to the Coalition. The US president and first lady Melania Trump will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle. It will mark the first time Mr Trump has met with Charles since he became monarch.

Buckingham Palace originally announced that Mr and Mrs Trump had accepted an invitation from the King to pay a state visit to the UK from Wednesday 17 September to Friday 19 September. But the visit has been moved, and slightly shortened, due to the president's schedule, so the Trumps will now arrive on the evening of 16 September and leave on 18 September.