In order to avoid public backlash, Donald Trump may move his state visit from London to Birmingham, a move that has incited fierce anger across the entire West Midlands region.
Birmingham MP Liam Byrne has made his thoughts firmly clear on the matter by launching his Dump the Trump campaign, including an online petition to keep him out of the city. Within hours, the petition received 1000 signatures. A previous petition calling for a ban on Trump’s State Visit gained over a million signatures.
Byrne, a Labour MP, told the BBC: “I think the result of him coming to Birmingham would be very divisive.
“We would land up with a whopping great security bill that the West Midlands Police would have to pick up. I think right now, what we really need is a bit of unity in the community rather than people coming in and trying to divide us.”
Trump and Theresa May have both faced severe opposition for the upcoming State visit, and it was fear that should Trump visit London, he would face massive protests. The Stop Trump Coalition is believed to be organising protests across the UK on February 27th, the day of the State Visit.
Anti-war campaigner Salma Yaqoob said, “If Donald Trump comes to the great city of Birmingham, our diverse communities will take to the streets in our thousands – and show him what we think about his misogyny, racism, and Islamophobia.”
If Donald Trump comes to the great city of Birmingham, our diverse communities will take to the streets in our thousands – and show him what we think about his misogyny, racism, and Islamophobia.
In late January, Birmingham saw hundreds gather for an Anti-Trump rally, denouncing racism, division and his much criticised travel ban. The protests were part of nationwide simultaneous demonstration against Trump, which included Manchester, York, London and more cities.
Some have shown support for Trump’s Birmingham visit, including John Lamb, the spokesman for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. He said, “The business community is quite fascinated by Donald Trump and he is a democratically-elected leader; a world leader – an important world leader- so why not?”
The business community is quite fascinated by Donald Trump and he is a democratically-elected leader; a world leader – an important world leader- so why not?
