Campaigners get permission to fly Giant 'Trump Baby' balloon

In London, plans to fly a giant inflatable balloon baby depicting US President Donald Trump has been approved, BBC reported.

The balloon is set to fly during Trump's meeting the British Prime Minister Theresa May. The meeting will be at 10 Downing Street on 13 July.

Almost £18,000 have been raised by the campaigners for the helium-filled six-metre high figure. The balloon figure reflects Trump's character as an "angry baby with a fragile ego and tiny hands".

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The permission to fly the balloon was given by the London Mayor Sadiq Khan.

The White House has been approached for comment.

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said it was "the biggest insult to a sitting US president ever" on Twitter.

On the morning of Friday 13 July, the balloon is set to fly for two hours.

Leo Murray, who is behind the crowdfunded idea, said: "[Trump] really seems to hate it when people make fun of him.

"So when he visits the UK on Friday, we want to make sure he knows that all of Britain is looking down on him and laughing at him.

"That's why a group of us have chipped in and raised enough money to have a six-metre high blimp made by a professional inflatables company, to be flown in the skies over Parliament Square during Trump's visit."

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Murray also said organisers initially "didn't get off to the best start with the mayor's office over this, who originally told us that they didn't recognise Trump Baby as legitimate protest".


However, he said City Hall had "rediscovered its sense of humour - Trump Baby will fly".

A statement on behalf of the London mayor said he "supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms".

Khan's city operations team met organisers and gave them permission to "use Parliament Square Garden as a grounding point for the blimp".

According to activists, more than 10,000 people signed a petition calling for the inflatable to be given permission to fly.

The London mayor and the US president have repeatedly clashed on Twitter, including in the aftermath of the London Bridge attack.

Campaigners are also getting permission from the National Air Traffic Service (NATS) before the balloon can take off as the project constitutes a "non-standard flight in controlled airspace", a spokesperson said.

Because Parliament Square sits within restricted airspace, additional approvals are also needed from the Metropolitan Police.

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Max Wakefield, who is one of the people working on the project, said the group is "confident it will obtain all necessary permits".

Wakefield also said that the initial crowdfunding target was just £1,000, which was reached within 24 hours.

The remaining amount will now be utilised to send the inflatable figure on a "world tour" and "haunt" Trump wherever he goes, he added.

The Met has been approached for a comment.