Lily Allen delights crowds at London anti-Trump US Embassy demo
Lily Allen joined protestors outside the US embassy in London this evening. The artist delighted crowds as she performed “Going to a Town” by Rufus Wainwright. Allen was recently attacked by the far right on social media for showing solidarity with refugees in the Calais refugee camp.
The event of over 2000 people was one of over 25 protests around the country including one of over 1000 in Glasgow and 500 in Manchester, all under the slogan #StandUpToTrump.
Guitarist Sam Duckworth also performed, along with “Mizan the Poet.”
Labour Party constituency chair for Hornsey and Woodgreen Steve Hart opened the event saying Donald Trump did not win the popular vote and today’s protests stood in solidarity with the majority of the American people. He urged crowds to stand up to racism, sexism, homophobia and bigotry.
Green Party Home Affairs spokesperson Shahrar Ali added that the campaign to remove Donald Trump from office starts today.
Sabby Dhalu, Stand up to Racism Co-Convenor, drew attention to the weakness of the US electoral college system that propelled Trump to power. She said that due to its roots in slavery and racism the system weighted the electoral college in favour of Southern states. She also drew attention to the Supreme Court ruling that nullified the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which means Southern states are disenfranchising black people, thus rolling back the gains of Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement.
Fellow Co-Convenor Weyman Bennett added that Donald Trump is a threat to all of us whether we are women, Muslim, black, LGBT, disabled or poor. He said today is the start of the fightback against the billionaire boys club and called for a massive turn out globally on the 18th of March for UN Anti-Racism day.
Trade Union speakers included NAPO General Secretary Ian Lawrence and BFAWU Union President Ian Hodson who expressed solidarity with working people in the US facing worsening conditions and called for an anti-racist union movement which shows solidarity to migrants and refugees.
Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament warned of the fact that Trump now has his finger on the red button and has already called for the US to expand its nuclear arsenal.
Lindsey German from the Stop The War Coalition said we could not believe a word Trump had said. He claimed he was in favour of peace, then nominated James ‘Mad Dog’ Matis to Defence Secretary. She also warned of a possible US war with China.
Paula Peters from Disabled People Against Cuts drew attention to Trump’s cuts to Obamacare and the devastating impact this will have on Americans.
Other speakers included Fevzi Hussain representing the GMB Race Committee, the Rainbow Coalition’s Denis Fernando and Susan Jeffreys representing the Campaign Against Climate Change.
For more pictures, visit Stand Up To Racism on twitter at @antiracismday or the #StandUpToTrump hashtag
ENDS
Notes to editors;
• Stand up to Racism is a national organisation, dedicated to opposing the rise of racism, supported by major trade unions such as Unite, Unison and NUT. Our national conference on Saturday 8 October was attended by 1600 people and was addressed by speakers including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. We will be organising to build a mass demonstration against racism, backed by the TUC on 18 March 2017 to mark UN Anti-Racism day and in the lead up to the planned enacting of article 50 in London, Glasgow and Cardiff.
