US President Donald Trump’s State Visit to the UK
The US President Donald Trump arrived in the United Kingdom late Tuesday for his second state visit, which has been marred by criticism of his politics and his cloudy past, particularly his association with the late financier and perpetrator Jeffrey Epstein.
Creativity in Protest
A political group that combines art and activism has confirmed that it was behind a public stunt in which several pictures of Trump and Epstein were projected onto a tower, accompanied by a soundtrack that questioned the relationship between the two men. The group stated that they believed the "incredibly close connections between the US president and America’s most notorious sex dealer for children" should not be left out of the discussion.
After the publication of a note allegedly signed by Trump, in which he wishes the sex offender and alludes to "wonderful secrets", the group’s actions have sparked controversy. Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in a federal prison in New York in 2019 after he was arrested for sex trafficking of children, which he had contested. His accomplice, the former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, serves a 20-year prison sentence for crimes related to the procurement of minor girls who were sexually abused by Epstein.
Arrests and Reactions
After the pictures of Trump and Epstein were projected in Windsor Castle, four people were arrested in Windsor for suspicion of "malicious communication" after a public stunt. According to the Thames Valley police, they remain in custody. The spokesman for the group commented, "We have projected a journalism onto a wall and now people were arrested for malicious communication. I think that, frankly, says that much more about the police work of Trump’s visit than about what we did."
Protests Against Trump’s Visit
About 70 demonstrators from the Stop Trump coalition gathered on Tuesday outside the Windsor lock to demonstrate peacefully against Trump. It was the first in a series of planned demonstrations against the US President during his stay that ends on Thursday. People stopped posters and banners that condemned the president, saying "Trump out" and loudly, "Donald Trump is not welcome here."
Absentee in Windsor
Some posters showed themselves on Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles, who lives in the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. However, he will be a remarkable absence during this state visit and is reportedly not on the guest list for the lavish dinner. The commentators said that the palace wants to distance themselves from Andrew, since the possibility of more stressful evidence is revealed when the US House Committee releases thousands of Epstein files.
"No More Laughing Affair"
The "Trump Baby" Blimp, created by Leo Murray, which was designed together by artist Matt Bonner, was an orange inflatable balloon that depicted Trump as an angry baby holding a diaper and a cell phone. It was floating on the London Parliament Square for the first time in July 2018 when people protested against the planned Trump visit. During his state visit in June 2019, it was flown for the second time, where mass protests were also visible. However, the man behind the "Trump Baby" Blimp believes that the political climate is different today, and it is "no longer really a laughing affair".
