A row erupted today after police stopped anti-Trump protesters bringing a stage and sound system into central London.
Organisers of the Stop Trump protest hit out at Scotland Yard after they were blocked from bringing the mobile stage to Portland Place near Oxford Circus for the start of tomorrow’s demonstration.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to take to the streets on Friday in protest at US President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK from today.
Protesters will assemble outside the BBC building in Portland Place and plan to march through Regent Street and Haymarket to Trafalgar Square.
But left-wing activist Owen Jones, one of the organisers of the demonstration, tweeted furiously after the Met blocked plans for a vehicle-mounted stage.
He posted: “The @metpoliceuk have suddenly denied permission for a stage and a sound system for the Trump protest.
“This has never happened before and is an attack on the right to protest and free expression.”
Jones claimed police refused to meet organisers on Thursday, saying it was “unbelievably astonishing”.
Scotland Yard said the stage was blocked on safety grounds.
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It said in a statement: “As is usual, the Met asked the organisers for a crowd management and safety plan which as organisers they have overarching responsibility for.
“On Monday, 9 July the Met received diagrams of where the vehicle was to be positioned, with no mention of stewarding for this particular aspect of the event. This was not a formal notification of how crowd safety would be managed.
“At the heart of our policing operation is the right to freedom of speech and peaceful protest. “However we equally have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the public and this current time we do not feel that the proposal from the organisers ensures safety of a crowded place.”
Police also announced today that they were imposing conditions on a pro-Trump march due to take place on Saturday.
The pro-Trump group is due to converge with supporters of far-right activist Tommy Robinson, with both marches subject to strict restrictions.
Speaking in Brussels earlier, Mr Trump acknowledged his visit was likely to be met by protests, but insisted he was popular among the British people.
He said: “They like me a lot in the UK. I think they agree with me on immigration. I think that's why Brexit happened."
