Boris Johnson forced to cancel Luxembourg press conference due to deafening boos from protesters

Adam Bienkov

September 16, 2019 3:03 PM

Boris Johnson forced to abandon press conference in Luxembourg due to protests.

Boris Johnson protest luxembourg

The UK prime minister was due to field questions from journalists following meetings with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel.
However, protesters greeted the UK prime minister with loud boos and protest songs.
Officials decided to issue a pre-recorded statement from the prime ministers instead.
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Boris Johnson was forced to cancel a planned press conference in Luxembourg due to the deafening sound of protesters gathered on the streets to meet him.

The UK prime minister was due to field questions from European journalists on Monday after meeting for talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel.

However, Johnson was met by the deafening sound of boos prior to the planned press conference. Officials announced that they would instead issue a pre-recorded playback of Johnson and Bettel later on Monday.

Watch Boris Johnson booed by protesters in Luxembourg

Protesters sang Ode to Joy and shouted "We are the smiling piccaninnies of Luxembourg" in a reference to Johnson's previous offensive comments about black Africans.

Read more: Boris Johnson called gay men 'tank-topped bumboys' and black people 'piccaninnies' with 'watermelon smiles'

Johnson met for lunch with Juncker to discuss potential changes to the EU withdrawal agreement signed up to by Johnson's predecessor Theresa May.

However, little progress was made during the talks, according to a readout from the European Commission.

"President Juncker recalled that it is the UK's responsibility to come forward with legally operational solutions that are compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement," a Commission spokesman said in a statement, adding that "such proposals have not yet been made."

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