Students at a meeting in Salford say their protest links with the US president coinciding with concerns about inequality in the UK.
Students in Salford have joined a nationwide campaign of walkouts organised in opposition to US President Donald Trump.
The action, part of a wider movement across the UK, was supported at a meeting in the city where campaigners set out their reasons for taking part and promoted a new political party backed by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and MP Zara Sultana.
Robbie Gray, who led the meeting, told attendees the protest was not just about the American president but about “challenging inequality” and shifting focus away from issues such as immigration, which he argued were being used to divide communities.
Around a dozen students gathered at the Old Pint Pot pub in Salford for the meeting, which also promoted The Socialist, a newspaper covering the campaign.
One attendee said the aim was not only to protest against Mr Trump but also to raise the group’s profile locally and attract new members.
Starmer after the meeting with President Trump announced that they had agreed to “record breaking deals”, deals of which will see “£250 billion flowing both ways across the Atlantic”. It is said to be a British record for investment.
The organisers estimate that thousands of young people across the country have taken part in similar walkouts, reflecting a tradition of student protest in the UK which has included anti-war demonstrations and climate strikes.
Although the protest itself has now taken place, Mr Gray said the group intends to continue campaigning online and through further events.
He added that the Salford meeting formed part of a much bigger movement linking local concerns with national and international politics.
