In England, trump means fart
July 14, 2018 7:37 AM   Subscribe

The best protest signs for the anti-Trump rally in England, from the Huffington Post, Elle, The Cut, The Independent, The Standard, and a personal favorite from Twitter featuring a lovely knit sign.
posted by bile and syntax (44 comments total) 27 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was at the protest in Edinburgh today, and my personal favourite was "unable to express my depth of disgust in a sign." That one spoke to me. I also loved all the signs drawn by little kids, including a family dressed as cats chanting "cats against trump." Oh, and there was a little sausage dog being pulled in a cart with a sign saying "humans can do better."
posted by stillnocturnal at 7:45 AM on July 14, 2018 [27 favorites]


That art element with the three triangles... holy shit we need that on a bumper sticker here. How can we do this?
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:12 AM on July 14, 2018 [32 favorites]


Love the signs. Well I learned something today. "To trump" means "to fart" in British slang.
posted by eye of newt at 8:17 AM on July 14, 2018 [4 favorites]


I was also at the Edinburgh rally. There are two Trump blimps, why have I only seen one before today?
posted by epo at 8:18 AM on July 14, 2018 [3 favorites]


And then there's “Trump is not a cunt; he lacks the depth and warmth”
posted by acb at 8:26 AM on July 14, 2018 [24 favorites]


This gives me hope for my homeland.
posted by Artw at 8:31 AM on July 14, 2018 [1 favorite]


reminder that virtually every protest thus far everywhere on earth has had larger crowds than the inauguration and i hope it makes him feel puny and flaccid
posted by poffin boffin at 8:31 AM on July 14, 2018 [23 favorites]


posted by bile and syntax

Epony…
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:42 AM on July 14, 2018


Honestly, these are hilarious but I'm just moved to tears that the rest of the world is ready to take the time and energy to protest our evil overloard. It's really touching.
posted by BlahLaLa at 8:43 AM on July 14, 2018 [29 favorites]


Honestly, England, I’ve been to a lot of protests, I have seen a *lot* of Trump signs, but the Trump Dalek is just brilliant. Bravo.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:46 AM on July 14, 2018 [8 favorites]


After seeing so many hot takes on “civility” in US media, I love how these signs are even more uncivil and profane than what I see in US protests. Bravo, England. You have set the bar.
posted by jonp72 at 8:55 AM on July 14, 2018 [9 favorites]


I was on the London march yesterday. It was a lovely day, with sunny skies, everyone enjoying themselves and plenty of inventive, witty signs and T-shirts around. Even the cops lining the Regent's Street route were smiling. London did itself proud, I think, and I'm sure Scotland will do likewise.

I've posted all my best photographs from the London march on Twitter @PlanetSlade.

[MODS: I've already posted that link at the bottom of the comments on July 9's "Season finale of 'Ooh er UK!'" thread. This new thread seems to be a better home for pics, though, so please delete the link over there if I'm only allowed one. Thanks.]
posted by Paul Slade at 8:56 AM on July 14, 2018 [6 favorites]


Also, England: you could have changed the whole outcome of things if you’d pointed out two years ago that we were about to elect President Fart. I hope you’re happy.

Oh, who am I kidding? President Fart would be the most popular US president in history. Fuck, I’d probably vote for them.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:59 AM on July 14, 2018 [2 favorites]


I'm just glad that Barron Trump doesn't have to go to school in the UK. That poor kid is going to grow up damaged enough without spending his formative years being referred to as "Lord Fart".
posted by howfar at 9:07 AM on July 14, 2018 [1 favorite]


Not in the signs that I can see:
ALL IN ALL
YOU’RE JUST ANOTHER
PRICK WITH NO WALL
posted by ricochet biscuit at 9:10 AM on July 14, 2018 [43 favorites]


Honestly, these are hilarious but I'm just moved to tears that the rest of the world is ready to take the time and energy to protest our evil overloard. It's really touching.

It’s like we really do have a special relationship after all. We should totally coordinate the overthrow of our respective governments together.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 9:11 AM on July 14, 2018 [17 favorites]


I told you that 'trump' means 'fart' three years ago! But you didn't listen then, and here we are!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 9:12 AM on July 14, 2018 [12 favorites]


I'm just moved to tears that the rest of the world is ready to take the time and energy to protest our evil overlord.

He's our evil overlord too, in a way. The US President is such a powerful figure that, when the office is filled by someone as bad as Trump, the whole world suffers.

I love how these signs are even more uncivil and profane than what I see in US protests.

They don't call swearing "Anglo-Saxon language" for nothing. We fucking invented it!
posted by Paul Slade at 9:13 AM on July 14, 2018 [10 favorites]


If we're going for proper uncivil, I thought the human cuntipede one was particularly magnificent.

(NB facebook link, and about as NSFW as you'd expect)
posted by doop at 9:37 AM on July 14, 2018 [7 favorites]


Well, if Trump means fart, I am writing this while dropping an Eric.
posted by Nanukthedog at 9:45 AM on July 14, 2018 [5 favorites]


That painting of Trump as a Bigfoot with the Queen on his back in the Huffpost link is sublime. The Triangles must be by someone with some great graphic skills.
posted by boilermonster at 9:54 AM on July 14, 2018 [1 favorite]


That art element with the three triangles... holy shit we need that on a bumper sticker here. How can we do this?

A bit of googling and I think the 'triangles trump' originated with this guy... you can buy stickers!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 10:05 AM on July 14, 2018 [13 favorites]




Thank you, England! I'm touched that you not only made the effort to help us Americans fight back, but you also targeted only the POTUS and not our whole country. (At least, that's what the photos seem to show.) I guess the world is getting the idea that a lot of us are angry and 100% opposed to the current administration, and Twitler doesn't speak for us. Thank you for directing your ire where it belongs, and thanks for the moral support. It means a lot to me.
posted by Quietgal at 10:44 AM on July 14, 2018 [7 favorites]


I was there with another Mefite. We travelled to London with my local Green party. The sun was out and the "Carnival of Resistance" really had a carnival atmosphere as we marched alongside a brass band. I got complimented on my pro-EU sign by an MEP.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 10:45 AM on July 14, 2018 [3 favorites]


He's our evil overlord too, in a way. The US President is such a powerful figure that, when the office is filled by someone as bad as Trump, the whole world suffers.

Not to mention he was put in power by the exact same conspiracy of the exact same shitty people that gave us Brexit.
posted by Artw at 10:56 AM on July 14, 2018 [8 favorites]


Add me to the list of grateful Americans. Even if you’re doing it for your own reasons, I still get to watch and feel solidarity. I want every Trumpist to get the message: No Justice? No Peace! If you want to live in a world where you can eat a meal or golf or walk down the street and not be heckled and jeered and insulted, you have one option: RESIGN!
posted by greermahoney at 10:59 AM on July 14, 2018 [6 favorites]


I saw no hint at all of anti-Americanism at the London march. If anything, the Brits taking part were keen to reassure watching US tourists that it wasn't their country we had a problem with, but only their president. There were several signs making exactly that point, and I overheard a couple of conversations to the same effect.

There were quite a few Americans on the march itself - I saw one sign reading "Horrified American" with an arrow pointing down towards its holder and another saying "Americans against Trump". Plenty of visiting Americans cheered us on from the pavements along Regent's Street, but I saw no more than three or four who seemed to have any sympathy with Trump.
posted by Paul Slade at 11:09 AM on July 14, 2018 [6 favorites]


I was there all on my own (hubby was busy with other commitments) and it was truly mind-boggling in terms of scale. I got myself to what seemed like the "official middle" - south of Broadcasting House, level with the church whose steps were used as a mini-stage for PA and speeches. It wasn't until later seeing photos from high angles that I could get any sense for how much further back the crowd extended. An announcement of "official police figure is 100,000 people" was made before we set off, and I couldn't even perceive that many. Just a total sea of people, united in purpose but with diverse messages and styles.

The vibe I picked up was never anti-USA, just anti-Trump. Perhaps a subtext of "oh, America - we know you can be so much better than this; we know a lot of you are hurting, we're with you". I spotted some Americans here and there in the mix and nobody was giving them any grief, just love. We know what it's like for there to be a big disconnect between "the present politics of a country" and "the heart and soul of a heck of a lot of the people of that country".

There was extensive police presence. The crowd were, as far as I could tell, perfectly well-behaved and calm and peaceful - in return we got happy smiley kind relaxed no-stress Best British Policing from them. I said thank you to a few along the way and wished them a calm drama-free day and got kindness and smiles in return. Although British policing sometimes has horrible failures, they were on truly top form yesterday and they do deserve collective credit for facilitating such a massive situation in a polite and professional manner. I saw one or two people attempting to stir stuff up (nothing major) and I got the sense that the police were calmly managing them - observing, having a "little word" to let them know they're being watched, but not obviously arresting them and dragging them away in handcuffs.
posted by BuxtonTheRed at 11:12 AM on July 14, 2018 [4 favorites]


Not in the signs that I can see

Here you go!
posted by triggerfinger at 11:16 AM on July 14, 2018 [4 favorites]




I use a Chrome extension to replace Trump with "Breaking Wind" (phrasing taken from a delightful Ian McKellen tweet after the 2017 Womens March), which has led to some awkward conversations/giggles when sending outrage screenshots to friends. But hey, we need all the smiles we can get these days.
posted by basalganglia at 1:37 PM on July 14, 2018 [2 favorites]


OMG - the "prick with no wall" sign is being carried by Baldric
posted by mbo at 9:55 PM on July 14, 2018 [10 favorites]


That sign has a slightly weird implication that having a wall would be better.
posted by jaduncan at 1:18 AM on July 15, 2018


I agree, but I think the intention is to mock Trump's failure to achieve his most famous campaign promise. There were variations on the sign saying "... just a prick with a wall" too (which could also be quibbled with), but in both cases, I think the sentiment's clear enough.
posted by Paul Slade at 2:22 AM on July 15, 2018


"Well obviously I'm a republican.... have been for years...."
*Trump walks in front of Her Majesty*
"GOOD SAVE OUR GRACIOUS QUEEN! LONG LIVE..."
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 7:12 AM on July 15, 2018 [2 favorites]


For me, the best response has to go to Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, who snubbed Trump in favour of leading the Glasgow Pride parade. She chose a side, and it's ours.
posted by Wrinkled Stumpskin at 7:13 AM on July 15, 2018 [10 favorites]










Helsinki's now picked up the protest baton with some splendid signs of its own. From today's Guardian:

Protesters came out on Sunday to attack both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin before the controversial summit between the two leaders in the Finnish capital. “Not welcome,” read one sign, held by Hemmo Siponen, showing a cartoon of Trump and Putin embracing. “Fuck you both,” read another carried by two young women.
posted by Paul Slade at 12:56 PM on July 15, 2018 [2 favorites]


Interesting to see that the small pro trump protestors all had professionally printed identical signs, whereas the rent a leftie mob (as the Daily Mail calls them) all had handmade signs.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 3:00 PM on July 15, 2018 [2 favorites]


To be fair at the London anti-Trump protest there were a bunch of professionally printed signs handed out by various lefty groups. It was probably 70% homemade signs though. Those right-wingers just aren't as arty.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:30 AM on July 16, 2018 [1 favorite]


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