Reuters
A "Baby Trump" balloon is seen in Parliament Square, central London, on June 4, 2019.
- The Trump baby balloon - which President Donald Trump has said he dislikes - was flown over central London on Tuesday morning.
- The 20-foot inflatable went up at 10:00 a.m. for a two-hour protest. It coincides with a meeting between Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May at nearby St James' Palace.
- The balloon was also raised in July 2018 to mark Trump's last visit. He told The Sun at the time: "I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London."
- Trump has already met with the Queen and Prince Charles. On Wednesday he is going to Portsmouth, England, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The large balloon depicting President Donald Trump as an irate baby has been flown over Parliament Square in London, the centerpiece of protests against Trump's state visit to the UK.
The 20-foot balloon, organised by The Stop Trump Coalition, was raised in Parliament Square, Westminster, at 10:00 a.m. (5:00 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, after a successful crowdfunding campaign. London authorities granted it a two-hour slot to remain airborne.
Trump has complained about the balloon in the past. On his last visit to the UK, in 2018, he said it made him "feel unwelcome" and disinclined to visit London.
Reuters
The "Baby Trump" balloon in London.
Trump left Buckingham Palace - where he attended a state banquet on Monday evening - to meet prime minister Theresa May in St James' Palace at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The route taken by Trump's motorcade avoided any roads in sight of Parliament Square, meaning that Trump is unlikely to have seen the balloon in person.
Read more: 15 photos of Melania and Donald Trump's historic state visit with the Queen
Trump told The Sun newspaper in July 2018 the orange blimp didn't sit well with him when he first became aware of it.
"I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London," he said.
Reutes
A "Baby Trump" balloon inflates, during a protest in London, Britain, June 4, 2019.
Read more: Trump to be met with rude protest as he flies into Stansted Airport for his UK state visit
The balloon has become a key symbol of his 2019 state visit, too.
The Sky News cable TV channel used the Trump balloon in a commercial publicizing Trump's arrival last week, and the BBC brought a replica of the balloon into the studio of one of its flagship new shows on Monday.
Reuters
Volunteers inflate the Trump baby blimp in London on Tuesday.
The balloon cost £5,000 ($6,300) to make, and was the idea of Matt Bonner, 36, from London.
It has also followed Trump to the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and appeared at the Women's March California 2019, in Los Angeles.
Sky News Matt Bonnner, who set up the Trump baby blimp, speaking to Sky News on Tuesday.
Leo Murray, who runs the blimp project alongside Bonner, runs the blimp project, told Business Insider in April they were toying with the idea of a hot-air balloon Trump baby five times larger than the one which flew. This plan ultimately did not come to pass.
A statue of Trump sitting on a golden toilet and tweeting was rolled out at another central London location - Trafalgar Square - on Tuesday morning.
Reuters
A man poses for a photograph next to a statue of Donald Trump in London's Trafalgar Square.
Its US creator, Don Lessem, says he spent $25,000 of his own money to create the 16-foot statue.
On Monday evening, The Museum of London announced it wanted to purchase the Trump baby balloon for its collection after the state visit.
Trump has so far met with the Queen and Prince Charles, and will travel to Portsmouth, southern England, on Wednesday to attend an event marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day.