The assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has not forced police to change security arrangements ahead of Donald Trump‘s UK state visit later this week.
The officer leading the operation said he has ‘planned for just about every foreseeable eventuality’, which includes protest against the US President.
Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Christian Bunt said there would be a noticeably increased police presence both in Windsor, where President Trump and his wife Melania will initially be hosted by the King, and at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country residence, where the Trumps are also expected to visit.
He said President Trump’s visit already meant the ‘threat level’ was ‘very high’, but that the attack on Trump-supporter Mr Kirk at a university campus in Utah had not meant security needed to be tightened.
In a briefing to reporters, he said: ‘We are constantly keeping under review our approach to these operations, we’re doing that on a daily basis, right through the planning phase.
‘I’m very content that we have planned a very comprehensive policing and security operation that has taken into consideration just about every eventuality of what could happen.’
He described the state visit as ‘a significant policing and security operation’, drawing resources from across the UK.
‘The public can expect to see a very visible increase in our security posture in the coming days, and actually in Windsor and Chequers, they would have seen that already over the weekend,’ he said.
American right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, pictured with his wife Erika, was gunned down at a university in Utah last week
Police officers have been conducting security searches in Windsor ahead of the state visit of President Donald Trump
King Charles is due to host President Trump and his wife Melania at Windsor Castle
There will be an increased police presence in Windsor this week
‘We also have a considerable number of specialist officers for dealing with any protest that may take place.
‘Some of these and other policing tactics will be visible to the public, meanwhile we will be deploying other tactics that will not be seen by the public.
‘We have considered and planned for just about every foreseeable eventuality.’
Mr Bunt was unable to state how many additional officers had been called upon to assist Thames Valley Police, but said ‘mutual aid’ from other forces made up roughly two-thirds of the policing operation.
This will include uniform officers on patrol, firearms officers, search officers, mounted officers, dog handlers, and the marine unit on the River Thames.
Barriers will be put in place to manage crowds, while aircraft including drones will be restricted over and around Windsor Castle and Chequers.
He said officers will also be monitoring social media during President Trump’s short stay in the UK, largely to ensure nothing compromises the security operation or leads to potential disorder.
The visit will include a carriage tour, a state banquet, a flypast by military aircraft and a gun salute, but will be held largely away from the public.
The Trumps pictured with the King during a previous visit to the UK in 2019
The killing of Mr Kirk, pictured with US vice president JD Vance, prompted police to review their security measures ahead of President Trump’s state visit this week
Christian Bunt, the Assistant Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police, is leading the security operation ahead of the Trumps’ visit
The King will host the Trumps from Wednesday until Friday at Windsor Castle, while Keir Starmer will meet with the visitors at Chequers on Thursday.
His first state visit to the UK in 2019 saw thousands of people turn out on the streets in London in opposition.
