KEY POINTS

  • Actor was one of thousands of protesters at Women's March in London on Saturday.
  • Demonstrations against Trump happened in 161 cities across the world.

Sir Ian McKellen ridiculed Donald Trump by referring to the new president of the US as "President Breaking Wind". The British actor assigned the moniker after taking part in the Women's March – a global day of action after Trump's inauguration – in London on Saturday (21 January).

More from IBTimes UK

He fired his broadside in a written statement, which read: "The Women and their allies had devised their own visual protests, hand-written and improvised at home, expressing their personal reaction to the new President, whose name in school-yard English means 'to break wind' appropriately."

McKellen, who displayed a placard he found featuring good friend Sir Patrick Stewart – explained he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the demonstrators who he said "cannot let him [Trump] reign unchallenged".

"President Breaking Wind has impacted us all; and personally. Some like him, think they can identify with him, believe him because they've seen him on television perhaps and think the billionaire and his billionaire team are truly their friends.

"The rest of us, including the majority of voters in USA, see through the charade; after all, the schtick is not exactly subtle. But he's riled us, got under our skin, making us angry and despairing that he should have got through to the final of his show and turned democracy into a tv/Twitter spectacular.

Sir Ian McKellen
Sir Ian McKellen holds up a placard he found at the protest @IanMcKellen

"What will happen? No doubt his believers will be soon disillusioned. The rest of us cannot let him reign unchallenged. The Marches worldwide were a good beginning. Some who fear him say 'give the man a chance'. OK – he's started by removing LGBTQ people, climate change and state funding of the arts from POTUS's website. He's had his chance."

Between 80,000-100,000 people were estimated to have marched on London, which was one of 161 cities around the world where demonsrations took place. Politicians at the march in the capital included London mayor Sadiq Khan while artists amongst the throng of protesters included Grayson Perry.

Donald Trump