London Mayor shrugs off protesters shouting pro-Brexit and Trump slogans
London Mayor Sadiq Khan shrugs off protesters shouting pro-Brexit and Trump slogans as ‘stable geniuses’
Mayor’s speech suspended after pro-Trump and pro-Brexit protesters start holding up American flags and calling for him to be arrested
A speech by London Mayor Sadiq Khan has been disrupted by protesters shouting pro-Brexit and Pro-Donald Trump slogans.
Mr Khan’s address to a Fabian Society conference in London had to be suspended for several minutes as a result of the incident.
As he took to the podium to begin his speech, a number of people from a group called the White Pendragons got up from the audience and started holding up American flags. They called for the Mayor to be arrested, reportedly referencing his religion.
One man could be heard addressing the audience with: “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re here today to make a non-violent, peaceful citizen’s arrest.”
Audience members started to heckle and slow-clap, during which security appeared.
Attempts to eject those responsible for the disruption were initially met with aversion from the protesters, one of whom could be heard saying: “We stand under Common Law jurisdiction.
”If you touch us, you’ll be done for common assault. Please stand back, do not touch us. We’re not leaving, we’ve paid for a ticket.”
He then accused the Fabian Society of “subverting” the constitution.
When Mr Khan, a long-term opponent of Mr Trump, resumed his speech after the protesters were escorted from the venue by police, he took a dig at the American president who recently described himself as a “very stable genius”.
He told delegates: “It is a pleasure to be here even though we were distracted by the actions of what some would call very stable geniuses.”
The Mayor also tried to make light of the protest with a reference to Prime Minister Theresa May’s Tory conference speech, which was interrupted by a prankster, saying: “On the plus side I wasn’t served with a P45.”
It comes a day after the Mr Khan said the US President had “got the message” that Londoners opposed his views and policies as he cancelled a planned visit to the capital.
Mr Khan the visit would have been hampered by “mass peaceful protests” as Mr Trump’s controversial views were the “polar opposite” of the city’s values.
The President said he would not visit the UK to open the new US embassy in south London and described the decision to move the building from Mayfair to Vauxhall as a “bad deal”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan shrugs off protesters shouting pro-Brexit and Trump slogans as ?stable geniuses? | The Independent
