London Mayor Sadiq Khan should note in his President Trump State Visit to Britain diary: Not only did his rent-a-mob protesters get out-chanted by Trump supporters outside Buckingham Palace— but their heartfelt “USA!” “USA!” cheers were heard above the sound of the bagpipes!
“Trump!” “Trump!” “Trump!” cheers resounded as the presidential motorcade departed Buckingham Palace, with the President and First Lady waving to the throngs from the windows of ‘The Beast’.
You won’t be reading about this in mainstream and social media accounts of course, including from Vincent McAveney, Euronews UK correspondent & sometimes @NBC News Foreign Correspondent, who reported: “Fair amount of booing but also some cheers from a small group of Trump supporters”. (IJR, June 3, 2019)
“Also some cheers from a small group of Trump supporters”?
They couldn’t have been too small if they could be clearly heard above the bagpipes.
“Small” was the number of the group protesting outside Buckingham Palace last night. Mayor Khan-defending Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn had threatened a cast of thousands, but tens of thousands of protesters failed to show up for the demonstration against the president in London and only 300 turned out.
“Jeremy Corbyn this afternoon delivered a firebrand speech to anti-Donald Trump protesters in London – obliquely accusing the President of ‘creating a sense of hate’ and fostering racism. (Daily Mail, June 4, 2019)
The Labour leader did not mention the President by name but played on familiar themes of Mr Trump’s critics in a high-energy speech.
“In an extraordinary speech for a politician who could one day have to work with Mr Trump, Mr Corbyn sprung to the defence of London Mayor Sadiq Khan and suggested the President had ‘created a greater sense of hate and hatred that goes with it’.
“He spoke as tens of thousands of protesters failed to turn up to anti-Trump demonstrations today which had been billed as a ‘carnival of resistance’.
“Photographs showed a lacklustre crowd of activists gathering while the President was inside 10 Downing Street meeting Prime Minister Theresa May as part of his three-day state visit to Britain.
“Mr Trump got a sight of the infamous 20ft Trump Baby blimp at Parliament Square as thousands of protesters marched from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament.
