London (AFP) – A massive security operation swung into force Tuesday as US President Donald Trump headed to the UK for a state visit, in one of Britain’s largest policing operations for years. Trump and his wife Melania were due to land north of London in Air Force One on Tuesday night, before heading to Windsor Castle on Wednesday to be welcomed by King Charles III and other royals.
Police in Windsor, around 20 miles (32 kilometres) west of London, were on standby to respond to potential “very high threat level” incidents, with anti-Trump protests planned on Tuesday and Wednesday in Windsor and London. While security is generally heightened during carefully choreographed state visits, Trump’s trip comes days after his far-right ally Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a university in Utah, prompting further fears of political violence in the United States. Trump himself survived two assassination attempts during his US presidential election campaign in 2024.
The US Secret Service — which has been coordinating with the UK’s domestic intelligence service MI5 and police forces — will be allowed to carry firearms when in Britain, according to the BBC. “I’m very content that we have planned a very comprehensive policing and security operation that has taken into consideration just about every eventuality of what could happen,” said Windsor’s local force Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt.
In a break from previous royal events, steel barricades have been thrown up blocking the public view and access of the Long Walk avenue leading to Windsor Castle, where Trump is due to stay on Wednesday night. Some British media highlighted that it was the UK’s largest security operation since the king’s coronation in 2023.
Thames Valley Police secured Windsor from the skies and water ahead of the whirlwind trip, with a temporary airspace ban over the southeast English town and boat patrols on the River Thames. One drone pilot was arrested in Windsor for breaching the restrictions on Tuesday. A marine unit deployed on Windsor’s river and riverbanks was “part of a wide range of security measures in place, many of which will be visible to the public and others which will not,” police said.
US Vice President JD Vance was criticised by locals when he visited rural England on holiday in August for bringing with him a large motorcade, road closures, and ID checks. The Metropolitan Police was gearing for a protest scheduled in London on Wednesday afternoon, which thousands were expected to attend. Trump, whose last state visit in 2019 was dogged by demonstrations, is set to skip the British capital entirely this time and will remain largely out of the public view. On Monday, UK group “Everyone Hates Elon” unfurled a large canvas depicting a picture of Trump posing with US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
© 2024 AFP
