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Artist Kaya Mar holds his latest political satire painting of Donald Trump depicted as King Kong with Queen Elizabeth II climbing Elizabeth Tower, commonly known as Big Ben on February 8, 2017 in London, England. British Prime Minister Theresa May announced on a recent visit to the United States that Donald Trump would be invited for a formal state visit to the UK later in 2017.

From street protests to duelling petitions and angry words in Parliament, Britain has become a hotbed of anti-Trump sentiment just as Prime Minister Theresa May tries to forge a special relationship with the new U.S. President.

Polls show most Britons have a dim view of Donald Trump and the protests against him started within hours of his inauguration. They have escalated since Ms. May's visit to the White House last month when she invited Mr. Trump on a state visit to Britain hosted by the Queen later this year.

The invitation has become a lightning rod for those who believe Ms. May has not stood up to Mr. Trump on issues ranging from his recent restrictions on immigration to his attitudes toward women. And as Britain begins moving away from its biggest trading partner, the European Union, many people are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Ms. May's eagerness to embrace the United States, and particularly Mr. Trump, in a special relationship.

Mr. Trump "is a misogynist racist and he just seems to be completely incapable of running the richest, most powerful country and it is a worry for everyone," lawyer Graham Guest told reporters before he started a petition calling on Ms. May to cancel Mr. Trump's state visit. "I thought a state visit would legitimize his presidency in a way that it shouldn't be." Mr. Guest's petition has attracted nearly two million signatures and the merits of the state visit will now be debated in Parliament later this month.

On the streets, the coalition that led massive protests against Britain's involvement in the Iraq war has now turned its sights on Mr. Trump and organized dozens of rallies across the country protesting the state visit. "Our government should not be seen to be endorsing the sorts of ideas and policies [Mr. Trump] is putting forward," said the Stop the War Coalition, which is made up of unions, activist groups and multicultural organizations.

Politicians have been caught up in the furor, too, and 163 members of Parliament have signed a motion saying they do not want Mr. Trump to address Parliament during his visit. "What is happening in the United States is unique in Western democracy and should be deeply disturbing for all of us," Labour MP Yvette Cooper said. "We should be prepared to make a stand."

This week, the Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, backed that call and said he would not allow Mr. Trump to address Parliament during his visit. Referring to Mr. Trump's recently announced restrictions on immigration and refugees, Mr. Bercow said that "before the imposition of the migrant ban, I would myself have been strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall. After the imposition of the migrant ban by President Trump, I am even more strongly opposed to an address by President Trump in Westminster Hall."

It's believed to be the first time a Speaker has publicly refused to permit someone to address Parliament and Mr. Bercow's comments drew sharp criticism from many Conservative MPs who called on him to resign.

To be sure there are plenty of voices of support for Mr. Trump. Businessman Arron Banks, a major donor to the Vote Leave campaign during last year's Brexit referendum, has launched a website called Westmonster that is based along the lines of the Breitbart news service, a favourite of Mr. Trump and his supporters. And the former leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party, Nigel Farage, who led the campaign for Brexit, has begun hosting a nightly call-in radio show that is decidedly pro-Trump.

"I have a feeling that some motivations here are very similar to anti-Brexit protesters," Mr. Farage said during one show recently, referring to the protests against Mr. Trump's state visit. "There are a lot of people out there that do not like the year 2016 and would like to reverse us back to 2015. I think you are anti-democratic, you people. I think you simply cannot accept what has happened."

A recent poll found 49 per cent of those surveyed support the state visit invitation with 36 per cent opposed. And a petition backing Mr. Trump's visit has been signed by more than 300,000 people.

Ms. May has tried to remain above the fray. She has insisted that the state visit will go ahead and argued that Britain will need a good trade relationship with the United States after Brexit. "It will be a successful visit because we will make it a successful visit," a spokesman for Ms. May said Wednesday.

There's a long history of British Prime Ministers working closely with U.S. Presidents. President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher fought the Cold War together, while President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair led the coalition against Iraq. And while those relationships proved controversial at times, they lasted for years.

Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said there is a chance that Ms. May and Mr. Trump may yet be able to build a special relationship. "Clearly it would be easier if Trump stopped making the news headlines here every morning and every evening," he said. "On the other hand, if that becomes the new normal then Brits may simply get used to it; one always has to recall that many people in the UK weren't exactly wild for George W. Bush, but that didn't stop Blair or Brown continuing the love-in."

He added that much depends on Brexit. If negotiations with the EU go well, people will care less about the May-Trump relationship. But if they go badly, "then Brits are going to worry more about May desperately turning to Trump as our only alternative," he said.

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