Trump supporters barricaded in Wetherspoons by police as protesters chant ‘Nazi scum off our streets’

Demonstrations underway as US president meets with prime minister

Pro and anti-Donald Trump protesters have clashed during a march from Trafalgar Square to Parliament in central London.

A small group of supporters of the US president found themselves surrounded by demonstrators in Whitehall.

Police intervened and pulled the pro-Trump group into a nearby pub for their own safety as cries of “Nazi scum off our streets” rang out.

They have since barricaded the small counter-protest group in the Lord Moon of the Mall pub as thousands of demonstrators continue to stream down Whitehall.

Police officers outside the pub told The Independent around 20 pro-Trump supporters are still being held inside and that the incident was the result of a “verbal disagreement”.

:: Follow the latest updates on Donald Trump’s UK state visit

No arrests have been made, they said.

Around a dozen Met policemen and women were still guarding the door at the time of writing along with members of the pub’s security team.

Further down Whitehall, another small group of Trump supporters, one of whom was wearing a “Free Tommy” badge, in reference to Tommy Robinson, complained about the media coverage of Tuesday’s protests.

They claimed there were more people at rallies hosted by Robinson and suggested many of those marching did not actually “believe in what they were saying”.

Standing close to the police cordon was John (who declined to give his surname), a 22-year-old ex-solider wearing a “Make America Great Again” cap. He said he was at the rally to defend free speech.

“As a president he has a right to be here. It is a matter of free speech. These protesters are undemocratic,” he said.

(Tom Batchelor)

Thousands more marched by without stopping to notice the altercation at the Lord Moon of the Mall, many of them holding placards urging the British government to “dump Trump” and protect the NHS from foreign private investment.

Further tensions flared as rival groups of protesters refused to move on from Whitehall.

Officers, some mounted on horseback, tried to separate demonstrators amid chants of “police protect the fascists”.

The crowds, encircled by the Met, were eventually moved back up towards Trafalgar Square.

A subsequent scuffle broke out between police and protesters as pro-Trump and anti-fascist demonstrators came face-to-face, leading to the closure of at least one the section of road closest to Trafalgar Square and the atmosphere to become more aggressive.

Police at the scene described it to The Independent as “a melee between opposing political groups – it is chaos”.

So far, only one arrest has been confirmed.

A MAGA supporter in central London (Tom Batchelor)

These incidents come as tens of thousands of demonstrators take to the streets of London to raise their voices against President Trump and his divisive policies on immigration, climate change and women’s rights during his three-day state visit to the UK.

An inflatable Baby Trump blimp has taken to the skies over Westminster while a giant statue of Trump texting on a toilet has been installed in Trafalgar Square for the occasion.

Scotland Yard has said that 3,182 of its officers have been deployed to police the second day of Donald Trump’s state visit.

After enjoying a ceremonial welcome at Buckingham Palace on Monday, Trump and his family spent the day with members of the Royal family culminating in an elaborate white-tie state banquet.

The president met with business leaders on Tuesday morning and will hold a press conference with outgoing prime minister Theresa May this afternoon, with Brexit expected to be a key topic of conversation.