The balloon was flown over Parliament Square, London, on 13 July 2018, where the police estimate that over 100,000 protestors were in attendance,[3] and 50,000 more in the Meadows, Edinburgh, the following day, where protests were also held.
[4] Although Trump was not visiting Edinburgh, he was spending the weekend at his Turnberry golf course,[5] but permission to fly the balloon there was refused by Police Scotland.
With permission, activists made a copy of the balloon and it has been flown in numerous locations in the U.S. One of the organizers, Max Wakefield, described the balloon protest as being in response to "the rise of far-right politics that dehumanises people in order to get into power", and saw it as an attempt to introduce some "good British humour" into the political discourse surrounding Trump's visit.
[7] Leo Murray, who led the campaign, wrote in its crowdfunding statement:[8][9] [When] Trump visits the UK on Friday the 13th of July this year, we want to make sure he knows that all of Britain is looking down on him and laughing at him.
[6] It depicts Trump as "an angry orange baby"[2] with a snarling mouth,[13] tiny hands,[14] wearing a diaper,[6] and holding a smartphone.
"[7] Permission from the Greater London Authority (GLA), Metropolitan Police and National Air Traffic Service (NATS) was required for the balloon to be flown over Parliament Square, the space above which is considered restricted airspace.
[16] After learning of the balloon, Trump remarked, "I guess when they put out blimps to make me feel unwelcome, no reason for me to go to London.
[6] On 17 July 2018, the balloon was tethered outside the O2 Arena in London during a performance by the American rock band Pearl Jam, with their blessing.
[23] Ahead of Trump's state visit to the UK in June 2019, Sky News ran a commercial featuring the balloon.
[25] A crowdfunding initiative arranged for the blimp to fly if £30,000 were raised before Trump's arrival on 3 June 2019; this funding goal was achieved.
The smaller balloon was "stabbed with a sharp object" by Amy Dalla Mura, a pro-Trump supporter later that day; the woman was arrested and charged.
[citation needed] On 22 September 2018, a balloon was seen flying near Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach at a rally to mark the anniversary of Hurricane Maria striking Puerto Rico.
"[37] The blimp appeared on 19 January 2019 at Los Angeles Women's March, and at a protest rally outside Trump's re-election campaign launch in Orlando on 18 June 2019.
[43] The balloon appeared in Paris on 11 November 2018, at a march protesting about Trump's visit to attend the ceremonies of the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
[47] On 30 August 2018, pictures of a balloon similar to that of Donald Trump's were circulated, this time depicting London's Mayor Sadiq Khan wearing a bright yellow bikini.