The Donald Trump baby blimp, which highlighted protests against the US President’s visit to the UK in July last year, will take to the skies once again during Trump’s state visit.
In fact, activists vow to go all out this time, promising that the balloon depicting the nappy-wearing US President could be five times the size of its predecessor.
Leo Murray, ringleader of the Trump Baby Blimp protests, who helped crowdfund the original six-metre-high inflatable balloon, said: “The Trump baby will definitely fly again.”
More than 10,301 pounds ($18,427) had been obtained via crowdfunding to get the six metre-high, orange inflatable figure up in the air — smashing the target of $9,000.
He added: “We have been toying with the idea of a Trump baby hot air balloon, which would be about five times the size. But would cost a huge amount of money – upwards of £70,000.”
Last year, London mayor Sadiq Khan bowed to a petition of 10,000 signatures to allow the balloon to fly over central London on 13 July in a move that infuriated the US President’s supporters.
A spokesman for Sadiq Khan has hinted that an attempt to relaunch the balloon on this occasion would be approved. He said: “Any application to fly it on land that the Greater London Authority manages will be judged by the same criteria as last time by GLA officials, the police and the Civil Aviation Authority.”
However, campaigners are concerned the authorities may baulk at approving a bigger version of the blimp. Asad Rehman, the executive director of War on Want and a member of the Stop Trump Coalition, said: “We do have the baby blimp – it will fly and we’re also thinking about the option of making a bigger baby blimp. Logistics are the only consideration.”
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He added that they were also very confident there would be more than a quarter of a million protesters.“Trump’s visit last year mobilised a large number of people, but a year later the man has done more to rip up human rights, step back from international norms, continued his climate denialism and fuelled white nationalism,” he said.
A number of UK MPs have launched a bid to scrap Donald Trump's state visit — just hours after it was announced.
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Over 50 MPs from five parties had signed an Early Day Motion against Trump's trip to Britain, which is set for 3-5 June.
MPs are railing against rolling out the red carpet to a President accused of "misogyny, racism and xenophobia".
The MPs lambasted Trump's sexist comments about women, his attacks on London's first Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan, and his failure to tackle climate change.
While not legally binding, EDMs are a kind of internal "petition" for MPs, designed to put moral pressure on the government.