Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in London and across the UK this week to protest Donald Trump’s ban on people born in seven Muslim countries from entering the US (including British citizens, and people with dual citizenship in the States), and UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s failure to condemn the racist executive order, which was signed immediately after her visit with the new President.
More than 10,000 people gathered outside May’s residence at 10 Downing Street in London, chanting “Theresa May, shame on you!” and “Hey, hey Theresa, oo, ah / I wanna kno-o-o-o-ow / How you sleep at night.” They shouted messages of solidarity including “Say it loud and say it clear / Refugees are welcome here,” and jokes at Trump’s expense: “You can’t build a wall! Your hands are too small!”
Demonstration organizer and journalist Owen Jones addressed the crowd, saying “Friends, throughout history, we’ve not just seen injustice, we’ve seen all too often the failure of people to speak out. Today, we say with defiance, with determination: We will not stay silent at injustice. We will stand and make our voices clear.”
Pop culture icon and human rights activist Bianca Jagger told protesters, “Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’ executive order is a violation of human rights and civil liberties that will cause untold suffering and even death to some of the most vulnerable people on earth. … This executive order has been [greeted] with a toothless statement from 10 Downing Street… I am here to urge Prime Minister May to take a stand against racism, condemn the Muslim Ban, and withdraw the invitation for Donald Trump’s state visit.”
Green Party Co-Leader Caroline Lucas MP said, “Our Prime Minister isn’t engaged in diplomacy, she is engaged in complicity with tyranny. This is failing to stand up to a racist bigot, this is cowardly, and we are here to say: Not in our name!” before leading the crowd to chant: “No hatred, no fear / Refugees are welcome here.” Other attendees included Lily Allen, Douglas Booth, and Gary Lineker.
Credits
Text Charlotte Gush
Photography Lily-Rose Thomas
Film Director Tom Ivin