Trump baby blimp: We’re flying it again because he doesn’t deserve our respect

Authored by independent.co.uk and submitted by animositisomina35
image for Trump baby blimp: We’re flying it again because he doesn’t deserve our respect

Tomorrow, as Donald Trump proceeds with his state visit, I’ll be part of a team of people babysitting our Trump Baby blimp as he soars through the skies of London.

Last year Trump Baby joined 250,000 people on the streets of London with a further 150,000 people around the UK to protest his visit. Upon seeing the balloon, Trump said “I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London”. That’s exactly the point.

We know Trump isn’t a joke – he is responsible for rampant xenophobia, sexism and transphobia and the creeping rise of far right politics. His climate denial and persistent facilitation of the fossil fuel industry is a death sentence for communities in the global south. But if flying a balloon caricature is what gets under his skin – then that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

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Trump has repeatedly shown that he doesn’t respond to reason, to facts or to science. What he does respond to is humiliation. Our balloon is part of a proud history of political satire in the UK that sends a clear, orange, message to Trump and his politics of hate that they are not welcome here.

Some people have asked whether a personal attack on Trump is fair. The same question that was posed after Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage were doused in milkshakes during their recent European election campaigns.

Shape Created with Sketch. President Trump arrives in Britain: In pictures Show all 35 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. President Trump arrives in Britain: In pictures 1/35 President Trump meets with the Queen at Buckingham Palace as he arrives on the first day of his three-day state visit PA 2/35 A mixed crowd of supporters and detractors waits outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 3/35 President Trump and the Queen view an exhibition of items from the Royal Collection that are of historical significance to the US PA 4/35 President Trump inspects an honour guard during a welcome ceremony in the garden of Buckingham Palace AP 5/35 The police block a road leading to Westminster Abbey, where Donald Trump is visiting on the first day of his state visit PA 6/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles in the gardens of Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty 7/35 The McDonalds restaurant on Whitehall near to Westminster Abbey provides an excuse as to why they are not serving milkshakes today, though many have speculated that it is due to the recent trend of pouring milkshakes over right wing political figures Tom Batchelor / The Independent 8/35 Protesters with anti-Trump signs stand on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 9/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania are welcomed by the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla at Buckingham Palace EPA 10/35 King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery perform a gun salute to honour President Trump's state visit and to mark the 66th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation at Green Park Getty 11/35 A protester stands on Whitehall near Downing Street holding a sign with an anti-Trump message Tom Batchelor / The Independent 12/35 A supporter welcomes the president's visit on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 13/35 A miniature Trump balloon in the protest on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 14/35 A protester wears a "No Trumps" card in his hat as he walks nearby to Buckingham Palace Getty 15/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles and a Buckingham Palace guard as he is welcomed on the first day of his three-day state visit AFP/Getty 16/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 17/35 Crowds watch as Marine One, the helicopter carrying President Trump, arrives at Buckingham Palace PA 18/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport Reuters 19/35 Supporters of the president - and detractors of London mayor Sadiq Khan - await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 20/35 President Donald Trump salutes an honour guard as he and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport AP 21/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania arrive at Winfield House, the US ambassadors residence in London AP 22/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 23/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 24/35 A protester mowed this message into a field nearby to Stansted Airport Born Eco 25/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 26/35 A marching band parades down the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 27/35 Supporters of the president await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 28/35 A Marine One helicopter lands near Winfield House, the US ambassadors house in London, during President Trump's state visit Reuters 29/35 President Trump shakes hands with Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary Sky News 30/35 A policeman stands on the Mall, one of the roads leading to Buckingham Palace that is closed for the president's visit Reuters 31/35 Items are unloaded from Air Force One following the arrival of President Trump to Stansted Airport PA 32/35 Air Force One lands carrying U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arriving for their state visit to Britain Reuters 33/35 An honour guard await Trump's departure from Air Force One at Stansted Airport Sky News 34/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport AP 35/35 Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, and US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson await the arrival of US President Donald Trump PA 1/35 President Trump meets with the Queen at Buckingham Palace as he arrives on the first day of his three-day state visit PA 2/35 A mixed crowd of supporters and detractors waits outside Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 3/35 President Trump and the Queen view an exhibition of items from the Royal Collection that are of historical significance to the US PA 4/35 President Trump inspects an honour guard during a welcome ceremony in the garden of Buckingham Palace AP 5/35 The police block a road leading to Westminster Abbey, where Donald Trump is visiting on the first day of his state visit PA 6/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles in the gardens of Buckingham Palace AFP/Getty 7/35 The McDonalds restaurant on Whitehall near to Westminster Abbey provides an excuse as to why they are not serving milkshakes today, though many have speculated that it is due to the recent trend of pouring milkshakes over right wing political figures Tom Batchelor / The Independent 8/35 Protesters with anti-Trump signs stand on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 9/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania are welcomed by the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla at Buckingham Palace EPA 10/35 King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery perform a gun salute to honour President Trump's state visit and to mark the 66th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation at Green Park Getty 11/35 A protester stands on Whitehall near Downing Street holding a sign with an anti-Trump message Tom Batchelor / The Independent 12/35 A supporter welcomes the president's visit on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 13/35 A miniature Trump balloon in the protest on Whitehall near Downing Street Tom Batchelor / The Independent 14/35 A protester wears a "No Trumps" card in his hat as he walks nearby to Buckingham Palace Getty 15/35 President Trump walks with Prince Charles and a Buckingham Palace guard as he is welcomed on the first day of his three-day state visit AFP/Getty 16/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 17/35 Crowds watch as Marine One, the helicopter carrying President Trump, arrives at Buckingham Palace PA 18/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport Reuters 19/35 Supporters of the president - and detractors of London mayor Sadiq Khan - await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 20/35 President Donald Trump salutes an honour guard as he and first lady Melania Trump arrive at Stansted Airport AP 21/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania arrive at Winfield House, the US ambassadors residence in London AP 22/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 23/35 Dedicated pro-Trump and pro-Brexit campaigner Joseph Afrane awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 24/35 A protester mowed this message into a field nearby to Stansted Airport Born Eco 25/35 An anti-Trump protester awaits the president's arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 26/35 A marching band parades down the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace ahead of the arrival of President Trump Reuters 27/35 Supporters of the president await his arrival at Buckingham Palace Tom Batchelor / The Independent 28/35 A Marine One helicopter lands near Winfield House, the US ambassadors house in London, during President Trump's state visit Reuters 29/35 President Trump shakes hands with Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary Sky News 30/35 A policeman stands on the Mall, one of the roads leading to Buckingham Palace that is closed for the president's visit Reuters 31/35 Items are unloaded from Air Force One following the arrival of President Trump to Stansted Airport PA 32/35 Air Force One lands carrying U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arriving for their state visit to Britain Reuters 33/35 An honour guard await Trump's departure from Air Force One at Stansted Airport Sky News 34/35 President Trump and First Lady Melania depart from Air Force one at Stansted Airport AP 35/35 Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, and US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson await the arrival of US President Donald Trump PA

The answer is yes. Trump is responsible for thousands of personal attacks and the power and politics of the far right is a dangerous threat to the lives of thousands here and around the world. Every policy signed that removes reproductive rights from women, every detention or deportation that separates a child from a parent, every climate denial shouted into the smoke of a February wildfire is an attack on millions of individuals.

The Stop Trump protests in the UK are about more than a balloon. It’s a gathering of those who want to stand up to Trump’s vile dialogue and politics, standing in solidarity with those most affected by them in the UK. For the thousands of us in the streets, there are thousands more organising and campaigning every day to create a future free from Trump’s hate.

Groups like Sunrise and the UK Student Climate Network who are organising to demand radical economic and environmental reform by calling for a “green new deal”. Planned Parenthood and Sister’s Uncut, fighting for reproductive rights and the safety of women and non-binary people, and Jawaab and United We Dream, groups of young people organising for migrant and racial justice.

For us to fly Trump Baby again, we’re raising 30k for those 6 groups in order to fund their resistance to the violent manifestations of Trump’s politics. Organising for change requires a long game. In the meantime, it’s important to laugh in the face of your enemies, at the same time as recognising the threat they pose and working to fight against it.

After Tuesday, we must continue to resist and undermine Trump and far right politics at every level. Balloons in the air, milkshakes in hand, boots on the ground: we will continue to organise for a radical economic, environmental and social movement that centres justice for everyone.

So today we’re asking just one thing of the public. If you hate the politics of Trump, and love the Baby Balloon, please do give what you can to help make him fly and to support the people who are standing up to his damaging policies.

the_disco_sloth on June 3rd, 2019 at 14:49 UTC »

As a US citizen, I am deeply offended that our country does not have its own blimp.

letdogsvote on June 3rd, 2019 at 13:14 UTC »

Doesn't deserve respect of Americans either.

LebirtandJuztiz on June 3rd, 2019 at 13:09 UTC »

Past and present Presidents of the United States are on foreign soil over the past 24 hours, but each is experiencing very different receptions.

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-barack-obama-gets-standing-ovation-at-game-two-of-nba-finals-in-toronto/