London's Parliament Square erupted as a young transgender activist led the protest in a chant, appealing to the government to "Protect Trans Youth". The trans girl, spoke about her experiences in school and the transphobia she has faced as she has had to fight for changes in school policies.

The peaceful trans rights protest was organised in response to Boris Johnson’s alleged proposal to ban trans people from public bathrooms and single-sex facilities.

Johnson is said to have plans to scrap long-delayed reforms to the Gender Recognition Act (GRA) – the process that trans people have, since 2004, used to update the gender marker on their birth certificates – and instead bring in “new protections” for women’s spaces that would bar trans women from using them.

This has led to outrage from LGBT+ campaigners, charities and politicians – many of whom have pointed out that the attack on trans rights comes in the midst of global protests against racism and police brutality and the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve been harmlessly using spaces that match our gender forever without issue, and people proved that they support us doing so,” a protester said.

“But bigots in power don’t care about our wellbeing and would rather our lives were put at risk for just going about our business.

“We were already at risk of murder. Now the law will begin to support discrimination against us.

“Liz Truss and the Tories pose a threat of what is essentially a UK equivalent of the US bathroom bills.

“Trans people will be unsafe in public and at work and the law will back discriminatory actions to prevent trans people from harmlessly using spaces that match their gender.

“This is a peaceful protest to demand that our rights not be removed.”