Protesters opposed to US President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK staged a 'carnival of resistance' in the centre of Oxford.

The action, organised by protest group Oxford Stand Up To Trump, saw about 50 people gathering at Carfax Tower last night to wave placards and shouting slogans denouncing the controversial head of state, who arrived yesterday.

The president's three-day state visit saw him and First Lady Melania Trump greeted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace for a formal dinner. He will also attend a ceremony in Portsmouth to mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings. However, his visit was mired in controversy before it even began, with the president taking to Twitter before leaving his plane at Stansted Airport to insult Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, calling him a "stone cold loser” after Mr Khan compared him to a 20th-century fascist.

Among those unhappy with President Trump's arrival is Gill Green, 77, from Abingdon, who joined the protestors at Carfax. She said: “It’s incredibly important to be here. My grandchildren tease me but I do it for them. He’s a horrible man and you have to stand for what you believe in. I think some youngsters think that protests won’t make an impression, but I think it will.”

President Trump is no stranger to protests. Thousands of demonstrators turned out to greet him last July when he came to Blenheim Palace to dine with Prime Minister Theresa May as part of his first official trip to the UK.

Children joined yesterday's protest, including 11 year-old Stan Willis from Oxford.

He said: “I’m here to show my support in opposing Trump. He’s racist, sexist, homophobic and he thinks climate change isn’t real.

“He’s a bully and he thinks all Muslims are terrorists which isn’t true.”

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Two girls from Benson, near Wallingford, travelled to Carfax for the protest.

Lillie Marsh, 14 said: “Trump has done so many horrible things. He has so much disrespect and I don’t want someone like that in my country. You have to spread love, not negativity.”

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Her friend, Emma Woods, who is also 14, said: “It’s important to stand up for what we believe in. We can’t vote because we’re not old enough, so this is the only way we can show our opinion. He isn’t a nice man and he shouldn’t even be a leader at all.”

Oxford was not alone in holding protests, with action also taking place in London, Manchester, Belfast, and Birmingham.

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Oxford city councillor Lubna Ashad said Oxford as a city did not agree with the president’s ideologies.She said: “The fact that he made those comments about Sadiq Khan just before he arrived here shows what kind of a man he is. We disagree with the red carpet being rolled out for him and we think our country deserves better. We say no to racism and stand up to hate. He’s not welcome.

“We don’t encourage him in his far-right ideologies and his policies aren’t right and don’t echo what our country needs.”