A banner reading "Build Bridges Not Walls" was draped across London's Tower Bridge on Friday as part of a series of events across the world aimed at expressing displeasure at Donald Trump.

Trump, who will be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Friday, faces protests in Washington during his inauguration, and in cities from Toronto to Sydney, Addis Ababa and Dublin over his politics which critics say are divisive and dangerous.

The protest in London was organised by the campaign group also called "Bridges not Walls", in reference to Trump's pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border.

"We won't let the politics of hate peddled by the likes of Donald Trump take hold," Nona Hurkmans of Bridges not Walls said in a statement.