UK Protests on Donald Trump's Travel Ban

Rasa - Thousands of protesters are set to march in cities across the UK today against Donald Trump's controversial travel ban.

News ID: 426980

Date: 30 January 2017 - 22:49

RNA - Marches are scheduled to take place from 6pm this evening in cities including London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Manchester, with thousands of Facebook users saying the will attend the events, the Telegraph reported.

It comes as one million people signed a petition calling for the US president's state visit to the UK to be cancelled.

London

Thousands are expected to attend a protest outside Downing Street from 6pm this evening.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband, MP Caroline Lucas and singer Lily Allen are expected to address protesters in the capital.

“There are moments of terrible injustice throughout history where we look back and rightly ask - what did people do?” the Facebook-organised event says.

“Future generations will look back at the targeting of Muslims - as we look back at the targeting of Jews - with disgust, horror and shame. If we do not speak out, we are complicit.”

Edinburgh

Protesters plan to march from the foot of The Mound, Edinburgh, to the Scottish parliament over the US travel ban on people from seven mainly-Muslim countries.

Manchester

A protest will be held outside Manchester Town Hall in Albert Square from 6pm. Organisers say they want those who attend to “make noise and show that we do not support Theresa May’s decision to ally herself with Trump’s fascist America.”

Cardiff

Protesters against the Trump travel ban will meet by the Aneurin Bevan statue on Queen Street between 6:30pm and 9pm in the Welsh capital.

Protests are also planned in Brighton, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow and Swansea.

Ahead of the protests, Mr Miliband tweeted: “PM's refusal to condemn Trump Muslim ban is shocking, wrong and cannot stand. It flies in the face of the values of people across Britain.

“The PM needs to say now the Trump executive order targeting Muslims to block their entry into the US is abhorrent. Silence is complicity.”

Tweeting directly at Mrs May, he added: “You're the Prime Minister. Get on the phone to the President and tell him the ban cannot stand. And do it today.”

Kate Allen, director of Amnesty UK, backed the protests, blasting the US ban as "appalling".

“Donald Trump's administration is wilfully demonising as 'security concerns', children, women and men fleeing from torturers and mass murderers,” she said.

“These demonstrations show the depth of anger and frustration felt by ordinary people in the UK. Amnesty is calling on everyone to search out their nearest demonstration and send a loud message to our politicians that such a ban cannot be tolerated.”

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