A video shows Londoners expressing support for the US President, following a June 2017 terrorist attack in the city
A video shows Londoners expressing support for the US President, following a June 2017 terrorist attack in the city
On 5 June 2017, the Red State Watcher web site posted two articles featuringÂ a video that appearedÂ to show Londoners chanting U.S. President Donald Trumpâ€™s name in the aftermath of a terrorist attack in the city two days earlier, which left at least victimsÂ dead, as well as the three attackers. OneÂ article carried the headline â€œWow! Londoners chant President Trumpâ€™s name instead of mayor,â€ and another was headlined â€œSadiq Khan May Be In Trouble â€“ Look What Londoners Are Doing!â€ Â That story went on to claim: < Londoners are fed up [with] Sadiqâ€™s [sic]Â Khanâ€™s soft stance on terrorism. As British citizens die, Kahn [sic] tells the public â€œnot to be alarm.â€ [sic] This did not settle well with some citizens. Some Londoners took [to] the streets and instead of chanting Khanâ€™s name, they chanted Donald Trumpâ€™s. > Both stories included the following video: < Sadiq Khan is an EMBARRASSMENT ? Londoners chant #Trumpâ€˜s name instead of hispic.twitter.com/flBWoTEKGN@realDonaldTrump #MAGA #LondonBridge â€” Boca Vista (@bocavista2016) June 5, 2017 > The articles, the posting of the video, and the text that accompanied it â€“ which labelled London Mayor Sadiq Khan an â€œembarrassmentâ€ â€“ all came in the context of a high-profileÂ dispute between Khan and Trump.Â The morning after the attack, Trump grossly misrepresented comments made by Khan, claiming that the London Mayor had told the people of the British capital there was â€œno reason to be alarmedâ€ at the attack.Â In fact, Khan was referring specifically to increased police patrols on the streets of London, and reassuring its residents not to be unduly concerned by that escalation.Â A spokesperson for the London Mayor then issued a statement calling Trumpâ€™s tweet â€œill-informedâ€ and accusing him of deliberately taking Khanâ€™s comments out of context.Â The following day, Trump doubled down on his attack, saying the mayorâ€™s explanation of his remarks â€“ which was accurate â€“ was a â€œpathetic excuse.â€ Contrary to whatÂ the Red State Watcher articles implied, however, the video had nothing to do with that dispute, or withÂ the June 2017 terrorist attack.Â In fact, Paul Golding, leader of the right-wing extremist group Britain First, shot the video in March 2017: Â < London today! â€œDONALD TRUMP WE LOVE YOU!â€ pic.twitter.com/AOryV4RtND â€” Paul Golding (@GoldingBF) March 18, 2017 > TheÂ video shows a small group of far-right activists engaged in a counter-protest at a much larger anti-racism rally in London on 18 March, at which demonstrators carried signs saying â€œStand up to Trump.â€ Itâ€™s possible some of those chanting in favor of the US President are from London â€“ Paul Golding himself is from the British capitalÂ â€“ but the video does not show a spontaneous assembly of non-aligned Londoners favoring Donald Trump over Sadiq Khan in their dispute, following aÂ 3 June 2017 terrorist attack in the city.Â
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