Thousands of people protest against Trump's second UK state visit

Thousands of people have gathered in Parliament Square for a rally against US President Donald Trump's second state visit.

Organisers Stop Trump Coalition - a group of more than 50 unions and charities - marched from central London's Portland Place towards Whitehall at around 15:00 BST, the BBC reported.

Some protesters carried signs with slogans written across them including "no to racism", "no to Trump" and "stop arming Israel".

Others carried smaller versions of the 20ft Trump Baby blimp that floated through crowds during protests against the president's first state visit in 2019.

The Metropolitan Police estimated that up to 5,000 people were in attendance.

More than 1,600 police officers had been deployed including 500 from other forces, the force said.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Met Police's Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Louise Puddefoot, said it would be "another busy day" for officers. This protest came just days after the Unite the Kingdom protest.

She added that police had been in "close contact" with the organisers and had asked all taking part to be "considerate to the local community" and keep disruption to a minimum.

The Stop Trump Coalition includes groups ranging from climate campaigners to anti-racism groups and pro-Palestine organisations.