Abbott warns of “dark shadow” of racism as shadow cabinet ministers and protesters join mass rally against Trump

John McDonnell and Diane Abbott joined protests against Donald Trump as thousands of demonstrators gathered outside parliament and across Britain while MPs debated the president’s state visit.

The two shadow cabinet ministers spoke to a crowd of activists who carried placards bearing slogans “no to racism, no to Trump”.

The event was timed to coincide with the MPs’ debate on Trump after 1.86 million people signed a petition against Theresa May’s invitation to the US Republican and property mogul. Around 314,000 people have signed a counter-petition in support of the proposed state visit.

Labour frontbenchers spoke out in disgust, however, over May’s plan to hand Trump full honours on a trip to London.

“Just spoke at the StopTrump demo which has filled Parliament Square. A state visit is an honour that Donald Trump does not deserve,” McDonnell wrote on Twitter.

Abbott, the shadow home secretary, said the West was in a “very difficult and dark era”.

“We live in an era where there is a dark shadow of racism and anti-immigrant sentiment internationally. And it is hard to stand up to it and I have always tried to stand up to racism and anti-immigrant sentiment all my political life. We know the values that Trump represents – with Donald Trump you don’t have to look in the crystal ball, you can read the book,” she told the crowd.

Abbott also highlighted the support of white supremacists for Trump in the last year’s US election and highlighted the heroic campaigning against racism of political leaders who had been invited to address parliament previously.

“Whatever you think [of Trump] a state visit is meant to be an honour and I would say that Donald Trump had done nothing to be honoured for.

“And as for Donald Trump addressing MPs in parliament that was an honour reserved for people like Nelson Mandela. How can anybody think that would be appropriate for Donald Trump?

“So we live in a very difficult and dark era. We have to support each other. We have to fight on. And we have to say here in the UK, here in London – [there is] no place for racism, no place for anti-Semitism, no place for Islamophobia and no place for stirring up hatred against immigrants.”