
An 82ft banner unfurled from Tower Bridge was among the signs of protest today as thousands of Britons showed their opposition to Donald Trump.

Large groups, including pop star Lily Allen, gathered outside the US Embassy in London as Trump took the oath to become the 45th President of the USA today.

There were also rallies in Brighton, Manchester and Edinburgh, where protesters donned Trump masks to make their opposition to the new President known.

The placard reading 'Act Now! Build Bridges Not Walls' was revealed on the bridge in London at 8.30am today, and similar banners were placed on every major bridge across the River Thames as far as Vauxhall.

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It descended into violence and chaos as pro-Trump supporters clashed with protesters in central London

Lily Allen joined thousands of protesters at the Donald Trump protest at the US Embassy in London

Large groups of protesters made their feelings known outside the US Embassy in London after Donald Trump was sworn in as President of the USA

Thousands of protesters gathered in central Bristol to protest against the new US President Donald Trump

More than 1,000 protesters held up placards outside the US Embassy and cheered as speakers from campaign group Stand Up To Racism vowed to unite against the President 'shoulder to shoulder'.

The crowd chanted: 'Hey, ho, sexist Trump has got to go.'

Among those present was Lily Allen, who has been an outspoken activist for left-wing causes.

Mother and daughter Alice, 50, and Georgina Yelland, 14, from Kingston, Surrey, said they were worried about someone with no political experience running the White House.

Thousands of people made their voices heard as they joined fellow anti-Trump marchers through London's streets

'No to Trump, no to war': The protest in Bristol is part of a series of events across the world aimed at expressing disproval at today's inauguration

'Dump Trump, kill Brexit': Around 1,000 people are thought to have attended a similar protest in Glasgow and another 500 in Manchester, while in Edinburgh protesters marched from the foot of North Bridge to the US Consulate

More than 200 banner-drops were expected to take place around the world, in cities including Brussels, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Toronto, Sydney and San Diego

The banners tackled issues raised by the then-president-elect on his campaign to reach the White House, including race, immigration and women's rights

The crowd chanted 'no fascist USA, no Trump, no KKK' and 'hey, ho, sexist Trump has got to go' - but as some disagreed with one another, fights ensued

More than 1,000 demonstrators made their way through the streets of London holding banners declaring, 'Stand up to Trump'

A protester dressed as a clown is pictured holding a placard bearing the slogan, 'Not my clown' during the demonstration

More than 1,000 protesters outside the US Embassy cheered as speakers from campaign group Stand Up To Racism vowed to unite against the President ‘shoulder to shoulder’

A pro-Trump supporter fights with a furious protester in Oxford Street, amid the ongoing protests

Lily Allen was among the thousands who turned out to protest against Trump taking office as the new US President

'Trump is the dumbest person I know' claimed one of the placards outside the US Embassy in London today

Alice said: 'I just fail to believe that somebody like Donald Trump is in power with no political experience.

'It's not a good idea, we wanted Bernie Sanders to win.'

Mum Alice said: 'He says racist and sexist things, he was voted in because there is a lot of poverty in America and someone like Trump appeals directly to their concerns.

'He appeals to people's darker sides.'

The Metropolitan Police confirmed to MailOnline that no arrests have been made in the capital during anti-Trump rallies.

Protesters from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament called for activists to lobby against a nuclear arms race

'He appeals to people's darker sides': A crowd of more than 1,000 gathered outside the US Embassy in London to protest against Donald Trump becoming US President

Campaigners waved placards outside the US Embassy in protest at Trump becoming the 45th US President today

Large groups have gathered in Manchester to show their opposition to Donald Trump becoming President of the US

An anti-Trump banner in Manchester, where a protest is being held this evening against the new US President

Large crowds gathered outside the US Embassy in London, where they chanted slogans and made their opposition to Donald Trump clear

'Trump is our tragedy' claimed the message scrawled on an American flag and displayed outside the US Embassy in London today

Protesters donned Trump masks and held up placards calling on Americans to stand up for racism

Children were among those who took part in the protest against Donald Trump outside the US Embassy today

Californian Katie Golden, who was among the protesters in London, held up a placard saying: 'Dear Queen, we are sorry. Take us back? Love America.'

The 27-year-old said: 'Today is the day the wrong people became rulers for our nation.

'Trump represents everything about my country that is wrong and the Americans who voted against Trump are realising that the country we think we are part of is not the America on the world stage.

'There are millions of Americans whom he does not represent, I am thinking now of Muslims, Lesbians and LGBT people. I am worried for myself but also for Hispanics and African Americans, I'm concerned that they are no longer protected.'

Cedric Smith, 57, from Los Angeles said: 'The people who voted for Trump are looking for a myth.

'They want black people to know their place and to go back to the 1950s.

'Trump is the rich kid who grew up with everyone hating him, we know him as the celebrity who said 'you're fired' and now the stupid people have put him in charge.'

Campaigners in Edinburgh accused Trump of racism, mysogony, transphobia and greed as thousands turned out across Britain to make their opposition known

Protestors wore Trump masks as they congregated outside the US Embassy during the inauguration ceremony

A protester in Edinburgh at a rally against new US President Donald Trump, who took office in Washington DC today

A demonstrator rips up a picture of Donald Trump during a protest held today in Edinburgh after Trump became US President

The Tower Bridge protest was expected to be mirrored by every major bridge across the River Thames as far as Vauxhall.

Demonstrators hang a banner that reads 'Act Now! Build Bridges not Walls' from Tower Bridge during the protest today

The new US President was branded a 'shameless clown' as protest groups demonstrated against Donald Trump's election win

Campaigners in Edinburgh protesting against new US President Donald Trump after he was sworn in today

Demonstrators hang a banner that reads 'Migrants Welcome Here' from Westminster Bridge during the protest this morning

The UK protests joined other demonstrations in cities around the world as Mr Trump is sworn in as US president, with the largest protest in Washington DC tomorrow when 200,000 people are expected to join a women's march.

Demonstrators have already clashed with police officers outside a pro-Trump rally in the US capital last night, having gathered outside the National Press Club to oppose a group of Trump backers staging a 'DeploraBall'.

This was an event named after Hillary Clinton branded them a 'basket of deplorables' during the election. Police appeared to use pepper spray to disperse the protesters while smoke was also seen filling the street.

Officers announced later that a man had been charged with conspiracy to commit an assault. Security officials have expressed concerns about possible clashes between Trump supporters and opponents.

Demonstrators hold a banner that reads 'Build Bridges Not Walls' on Ironbridge in Shropshire during a Trump protest

Ironbridge in Shropshire is a misty sight as demonstrators hold a banner in a protest against the inauguration of Mr Trump

The protest in the Shropshire town of Ironbridge is one of many being held across Britain and in other countries today

Ironbridge - the world's first iron bridge which was erected over the River Severn in 1779 - was the site of a protest today

A man passes a banner reading 'Build bridges not walls' that has been displayed on a bridge on North Parade in Bath

A bus travels past the banner in Bath, which is part of a series of events aimed at expressing disapproval at Mr Trump

The Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants group unfurled this banner outside Brighton train station as part of the protest