Lindsey German: “We will not be put off. We’ve done it before and we will do it again.”
Lamiat Sabin
Last year’s huge demonstration against Trump in London
A police ban aimed at preventing Stop Trump protesters from marching through Whitehall when Donald Trump meets Theresa May on a state visit next week will meet furious resistance, organisers say.
Lindsey German, of the Stop the War Coalition, told the Star that protesters will “not accept” the Metropolitan Police’s ban. She is calling on anti-Trump activists to sign a petition that calls on the force to overturn it.
The US President will meet the Prime Minister next Tuesday after meeting the Queen the day before. Three days later, Ms May will step down as PM after announcing her resignation last week.
The meeting could be considered a far-right “handover” exercise as it is expected that Mr Trump would also meet leadership hopeful Boris Johnson, and possibly Nigel Farage –whose Brexit Party took the largest share of votes in the recent European Parliament elections.
Ms German said: “Theresa May saw this meeting as one of her final acts in office, but it’s going to be a disaster and he’s going to insult her.
“Meeting with Johnson and Farage is virtually inevitable given the election results.”
Protesters must be allowed to turn out in full force as close to Downing Street as they can get, she added.
“On Friday night, police told us that they will give a space for several thousand people but that we cannot march down Whitehall,” Ms German continued.
“We will not accept it so we will challenge it. We are determined to get as close to Downing Street as possible.
“The Prime Minister has just resigned and invited over a racist, sexist warmonger. If the Tories think that’s a good idea then they better think again.”
The petition – started by Together Against Trump on Change.org – had received more than 2,500 signatures by yesterday afternoon.
Ms German is urging supporters to sign the petition, and said activists will “keep complaining to the police” as well as get MPs to also speak out against the ban.
She added: “We’ll make it clear to our supporters that we will be protesting as widely as possible.
“We will not be put off. We’ve done it before and we will do it again.”
The petition says: “[The ban] is a denial of the right to protest against a state visit most Londoners oppose.
“Taxpayers’ money should not be spent shielding Donald Trump from legal protest. We demand protesters be given the right to march.”
Source: The Morning Star
