As UK activists push for anti-Trump protests, bad memories of Xi Jinping’s visit re-emerge

Rights groups are urging the UK government to allow free protests – but some of those who protested Xi Jinping’s state visit to the UK have bad memories of their experiences

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British Prime Minister David Cameron shares a pint with Chinese President Xi Jinping during Xi’s visit to the UK in 2015. Plans for Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to the UK have brought up nasty memories of crackdowns on anti-Xi protesters from around this time. Photo: pool via EPA

Published: 11:14pm, 8 Jul 2018Updated: 3:40am, 9 Jul 2018

Rights groups and activists have urged police to allow free protests during Donald Trump’s visit to the UK this week, warning against a repeat of the political pressure alleged to have been seen during an equally contentious visit by China’s president.

Trump, who will be in Britain from Thursday to Sunday, is largely avoiding London, and will spend most of his time well away from demonstrations, in places such as Chequers, Blenheim Palace and Windsor Castle, and Scotland.

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The police forces covering the areas the US president will visit have promised to allow peaceful protests as far as is possible. But Amnesty International has warned against a repeat of the scenes in London when Xi Jinping visited in 2015.

A rendering of the proposed ‘Trump Baby’ blimp that will fly over Parliament during the US president’s visit to London. But the UK government is trying to minimise how much Trump sees of protests. Photo: Trump Baby via Crowd Funder

Some activists seeking to protest against Xi complained they were corralled out of his view, allowing his route in London to be lined mainly by supportive Chinese nationals seemingly organised by Beijing officials.

Shao Jiang, a survivor of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests who lives in the UK, complained to the police watchdog after he was arrested for allegedly conspiring to commit a public order offence for running into a road near where Xi was expected holding two A4-sized protest signs.