I say ‘not pleased’ in the time-honoured British tradition of using understatement to make a point. Actually, the Brits are furious with the visit of Donald Trump. They were out protesting in the streets, making demonstrations, flying unflattering Trump blimps, brandishing rude placards. Trump did nothing to mollify the miffed either. Even before he landed in the UK for a three-day official visit, he tweeted to call the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, a ‘stone cold loser’. Here are some of the funniest #TrumpProtest signs and Trump's response to the protests.
Trump’s anti-immigrant policies, his racism, his overt and covert support to supremacist ideologies, his misogyny, his frequent and transparent lies… the British found a lot to protest about.
This one calls Trump the colloquial name for male genitalia and points out that he still doesn’t have his precious southern wall (the one meant to keep out Mexicans or ‘drug dealers, criminals and rapists’ as Trump prefers to call them).
The Trump administration famously cracked down on immigration by separating children from their families and locking kids up in cages; inviting global condemnation. Currently, several American states have passed or are in the process of passing laws that severely restrict women’s reproductive rights and endanger female health; which has also invited outrage.
There were people protesting everywhere and the less than flattering Trump blimp made many appearances.
Trump is depicted sitting on a toilet bowl; fabled to be his fave place for shooting off his unhinged tweets. The Trump robot is seen wearing a bad-tempered scowl and a MAGA (make America great again) hat with the additional words “Impeach Me”.
Right now, Trump is seen as the face of illiberalism and authoritarian style leadership that draws on fascist ideals and threatens democratic principles. As such the British people seem to be rejecting both him and everything he stands for.
While a knitter knitted her protest, a baker baked her protest. Someone else put toddler Trump throwing a tantrum in a cage.
Trump was in the UK to negotiate trade deals among other things. There was a strong apprehension that the UK’s National Health Service would be compromised/ dismantled in ways that would benefit big pharma and other private entities.
Trump fancies himself as a showman; an entertainer. This protestor decided to puncture his vanity. Another sign also hit him where it hurt – you suck at golf – it said.
Impeach!
There was one creative protest that had an image of Trump peeking out from a garbage bin. One sign said ‘I'm awfully British, you're just awful’. People of various nationalities and ideologies had organised themselves into peaceful but powerful voices of protest.
…Including ones that could be seen from a plane! An art student and upcycling entrepreneur decided to ‘welcome’ Trump like this and to remind this climate change denier that the phenomenon is very real indeed.
This picture collage brings together some of the rudest signs, which use some peculiarly English expletives. The signs also insulted Trump’s tailor, his air style, ability to make tea and offered to rescue Melania the first lady.
In his characteristic style, Donald Trump dismissed the protests as nonexistent and as ‘fake news'. He insisted that he received a warm welcome; that there were few to no protests. Well among the things that the British were protesting were Trump's low EQ, his proclivity to tantrums and this refusal to see facts that do not suit his world view… this is of a piece.
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