The U.S. embassy in Britain is warning Americans in the U.K. to “keep a low profile” during President Trump’s contentious visit to the country, and urging them to exercise caution when in the vicinity of the large anti-Trump demonstrations that are set to take place in London and surrounding cities.
The largest protest is scheduled to take place in London on Friday amid Trump’s meeting with British prime minister Theresa May and Queen Elizabeth II. The demonstration will feature a large “Trump Baby” balloon over parliament, after London mayor Sadiq Khan granted protesters permission to fly it.
In a statement posted on the embassy website, officials warn Americans to “be aware of your surroundings [and] exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings that may become violent.”
Smaller demonstrations are scheduled to take place in Bristol, Newcastle, Leeds, Cambridge, and Cardiff after Trump’s three-day visit commences on Thursday. Protesters are also expected to appear outside of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, where Trump is scheduled to dine with May Thursday night.
Trump is expected to travel by helicopter between events, allowing him to avoid the protests.
“It’s funny, he’s running scared from us that he won’t show his face in London,” Stop Trump Coalition spokesperson Zoe Gardner told USA Today. Protests will be happening “all over,” she said. “He won’t be able to escape it….There’s a huge level of opposition that exists in this country to the type of politics that he represents.”
Woody Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., denied that Trump was trying to avoid the protests.
“The president is not avoiding anything. The president is merely trying to get as impactful a trip as he can get within a 24-hour period,” Johnson said.