US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump is said to be planning a snap visit to the UK in the next couple of weeks, putting protesters against his visit on high alert.
Downing Street is braced for a visit from the US President to his British counterpart Theresa May, the Guardian reports.
Thousands of protesters attended a rally outside the Houses of Parliament in London in February, as MPs debated a petition to cancel a state visit by Trump which had received 1.8 million signatures.
Any state visit from the President would similarly be likely to attract a large number of protesters.
The UK government is said to have been warned that Trump could visit his golf resort in Scotland, Turnberry, during his upcoming trip to Europe.
He is due to visit Hamburg for the G20 summit this weekend, and has accepted an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to attend Bastille Day celebrations on 14 July.
Trump is said to have told Prime Minister May following last month’s UK general election that he was unwilling to go ahead with the state visit due to the risk of large-scale protests.
Guardian columnist Owen Jones tweeted last night a call for protesters to be ready at short notice in the event of a Trump visit.
Anger
Theresa May became the first foreign leader to meet Trump in the White House in January, when she invited him to the UK on a state visit to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II later this year.
The British government was firm that it would not support the petition against the visit and stressed that the invitation still stands.
Trump particularly angered the UK over his criticism of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, over the latter’s reaction to the London Bridge terror attack.
The President poured scorn on Khan’s attempt to reassure the public after three assailants smashed a van into pedestrians on London Bridge then attacked revelers with knives.
“At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is ‘no reason to be alarmed!’” the US president said in one tweet.
Speaking to Channel Four News, Khan said that Trump was wrong about ‘many things’ and that his state visit should be cancelled.
“I don’t think we should roll out the red carpet to the president of the USA in the circumstances where his policies go against everything we stand for,” Khan said.
With reporting from AFP
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