In June, protesters in London had unveiled a six-meter giant baby Trump balloon ahead of the US president Donald Trump’s trip to United Kingdom on July 13. The balloon was given a go ahead by London mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday after more than 10,000 people signed a petition and crowdfunded more than 18,000 pounds to get the inflatable off the ground. Protests are expected across London when Trump arrives for his three-day visit to the UK next Friday, with the 20-feet orange balloon to take center stage.

The mayor’s office, earlier, objected to the helium-filled balloon claiming it required too much room to set up and take flight, leaving less space for other protestors in Parliament square. Officials also told that the inflatable did not qualify as a legitimate protest, instead classifying it as art. In response, the balloon’s creators launched a petition urging mayor Sadiq Khan to approve the balloon. In less than three weeks, the petition garnered thousands of signatures and the mayor’s office reversed course and gave permission to fly.

A spokesperson for the Mayor said, “The Mayor supports the right to peaceful protest and understands that this can take many different forms. His city operations team have met with the organisers and have given them permission to use Parliament Square Garden as a grounding point for the blimp.” The representative also added, “However, the organisers will also need to receive the necessary approvals from the Metropolitan Police and National Air Traffic Service in order for it to fly.”

The balloon will fly for two hours on the morning of Friday, July 13, at the same time as the ‘Stop Trump’ march in central London. The giant balloon will be tethered to the ground in Parliament Square Gardens and won’t be able to float higher than 30 meters. The presence of the balloon in London could further strain relations between the mayor and Mr Trump who have been involved in a series of Twitter spats over the past year. So far, there has been no response from President Trump about his feelings toward his giant baby doppelganger.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 07, 2018 10:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).