Donald Trump brings own wall of steel on UK visit as protesters gather
Donald Trump brings own wall of steel on UK visit as protesters gather
Current Time 0:13
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Duration Time 3:13
How real is the US-UK special relationship? 03:13
London (CNN)US
President Donald Trump arrived Thursday in Britain, where he will find
his own wall set up even as preparations for protests against his
four-day visit are in full swing.
Tall
metal mesh barricades and concrete blocks have been erected around the
perimeter of the US Ambassador's swanky central London residence,
Winfield House, where Trump will spend Thursday night.
Workers install temporary security fencing outside Winfield House on Wednesday ahead of the visit of President Donald Trump.
A
sign attached to the fence reads: "No access -- do not enter. A police
security operation is taking place. This includes armed patrols, dog
patrols, monitored CCTV and other measures." Any contravention, it
warns, "could result in force being used against you, your arrest and/or
prosecution."
The
extra security measures may strike Londoners as incongruous, set amid
the leafy surrounds of Regent's Park, a spot popular with joggers,
picnickers and families.
Winfield
House is the only place where Trump will spend time in central London,
where demonstrators are expected to gather in their tens of thousands
for a march on Friday afternoon, hours after a giant "Trump baby" balloon is flown near the UK Parliament in an eye-catching stunt.
Speaking in Brussels as he wrapped up a contentious NATO summit, Trump shrugged off concerns over demonstrations, saying he had "great friendships" in Britain, where his mother was born.
"Yes,
there might be protests," he said. "But I believe the people in the UK,
Scotland, Ireland -- as you know I have property in Ireland, I have
property all over -- I think that those people, they like me a lot and
they agree with me on immigration."
The
President and First Lady Melania Trump landed at London Stansted
Airport, northeast of the capital, where they boarded a helicopter to
Winfield House.
On reaching the
residence the pair walked across the lawn hand-in-hand. The first lady
wore a bodycon beige dress, cinched with an orange skinny belt,
accessorized with beige stilettos.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at London Stansted Airport on Thursday.
Trump 'not avoiding anything'
The
US Ambassador to London, Woody Johnson, insisted last week that Trump's
itinerary was not intentionally designed for him to avoid encountering
throngs of protesters.
"The
President is not avoiding anything," he said. "The President is merely
trying to get as impactful a trip as he can get in a 24-hour period."
Johnson
added that the President "appreciates free speech" and that he was
"very focused on the special relationship" between the US and the UK.
Trump
is on a "working visit" rather than a full state occasion. However, he
is still being accorded the honor of a Thursday night dinner with May at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of celebrated UK wartime leader Winston Churchill.
The
event will begin with a military parade featuring the bands of the
Scots, Irish and Welsh Guards in the spectacular Great Court. The music
will have an American flavor, with the "Liberty Fanfare" and the
"National Emblem" chosen alongside "Amazing Grace."
Security metal barriers and fences are installed around the US Ambassador's residence at Winfield House in Regents Park.
Trump
may not be able to ignore the presence of protesters entirely. Some
plan to stage an "all-night noise protest" outside the barricades
surrounding Winfield House later Thursday, with those attending urged to
"bring pots, drums and vuvuzelas."
Ahead of Trump's arrival, the US embassy advised US citizens in London to "keep a low profile" during
Trump's visit. "Be aware of your surroundings (and) exercise caution if
unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings that may become
violent," it added.
Trump may 'double down'
On
Friday, Trump will bypass the mass protests in London as he heads to
the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst with May for a military display,
before talks at her country residence, Chequers. Trump and the first
lady will then have tea with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in the
afternoon.
However,
media coverage may well be dominated by footage of the "Trump baby"
balloon as it soars above the iconic Houses of Parliament for a two-hour
spell.
The request for the orange-hued blimp to fly was approved by London Mayor Sadiq Khan
-- who has had a testy Twitter relationship with Trump -- after more
than 10,000 people signed a petition. As of Thursday morning, more than
1,900 people had contributed to a crowdfunding campaign for the balloon,
raising more than £30,000 (nearly $40,000). Organizers now say they
hope to take the blimp on a "world tour," following Trump on his
international diplomatic engagements.
Sarah Elliott, chairwoman of Republicans Overseas UK, told CNN she did not think Trump would be fazed by the stunt.
"I
think whenever his detractors go after him, it makes him double down
and it actually encourages him to keep going and prove everybody wrong,"
she said. "So I think that's the effect the balloon will have."
'Trump baby' balloon approved by London mayor 01:34
Blimp
organizer Leo Murray said it had been designed to speak to Trump "in a
language that he understands, which is personal insults."
But,
he added: "Whether he sees it, whether he reacts to it, we don't really
care. It's about lifting the spirits of the nation and it's already
doing that, you know, it's just putting smiles on the faces of people
who had started to despair about the state of politics."
Potentially
tens of thousands are expected to march to a rally in Trafalgar Square
on Friday afternoon, organized by the "Stop Trump Coalition."
Dozens of other, smaller protests against Trump's visit are set to take place around the United Kingdom throughout his stay.
On
Saturday, Trump supporters will rally near the US embassy in Nine Elms,
south London, for an event titled "Welcoming Trump to Britain Rally --
Make Britain Great Again," at which a number of right-wing figures are
scheduled to speak.
The Trumps will
have left town the night before for Scotland, where the President owns
two golf properties, Trump Turnberry and Trump Aberdeen.
Trump will spend the weekend at the former, which he described as a "magical place," before heading to Helsinki, Finland, for a much-anticipated summit on July 16 with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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