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Donald Trump meets a fiery end in UK Bonfire Night tradition

Story highlights
  • The town of Lewes marks November 5 with a massive bonfire party
  • Each year, bonfire societies make effigies of famous figures to be blown up with fireworks

Lewes, UK(CNN) "Trump."

"Trump."

"Gotta be (Donald) Trump."

The voice of the American people delivering their verdict on the forthcoming US elections?

Not exactly.

Those were actually the voices of British people predicting whose effigy would be chosen to meet a fiery demise at the UK's biggest bonfire party parade Saturday.

Along with thousands of other towns and cities across the United Kingdom, the ancient town of Lewes in southern England marks November 5 -- known as Guy Fawkes Night, or Bonfire Night -- with a massive bonfire party.

Fawkes was executed after a failed gunpowder plot to blow up England's Parliament and its Protestant king 400 years ago -- but lives on to "die" again each year when his effigy is burned on a bonfire.

But Fawkes is not the only public figure destined for a fiery end this night.

In recent years, a series of more current characters have been put on parade -- including former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, sporting a "mankini."

Guessing game

In Lewes, figures who have fueled fury become fuel for the fire.

The identities of each year's effigies are kept a closely guarded secret, which provokes a great guessing game before the parade.

This year, one name in particular stood out above the rest.

"I think it's not a matter of who but how many Trumps," one spectator said. "I think we might see five or six Trumps," another visitor remarked.

As darkness fell Saturday night, thousands of people lined the narrow streets to cheer the various bonfire societies on their torchlight parade -- and then in the distance, a famous face emerged through the smoke.

As predicted, the familiar figure of Donald Trump was paraded through the streets in a series of effigies riding donkeys and bulls and cars, accompanied by Mexican sombreros.

One portrayed him as "Humpy Trumpty" sitting on his wall. Another figure showed Trump riding a mule which rears up after pricking itself on a cactus -- causing the presidential candidate to shoot himself in the foot.

Personal conflagration

After the procession, the crowds -- and their giant effigies -- dispersed toward several separate bonfire parties, where the figures faced their own personal conflagration.

Trumps were blown apart by fireworks -- along with the candidate's proposed Mexican wall.

On a chilly November night in England, the heat of US presidential politics warmed at least the hands -- if not the hearts -- of the people.

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