An elderly supporter of President Donald Trump was pushed to the ground during an anti-Trump protest in London, a video showed.
The protest took place during Trump’s official state visit to the United Kingdom on June 3 to 5.
In the video posted June 4, the elderly man, who wears a red and white hat, can be seen tumbling to the ground as the crowd surrounding him chants, “Trump’s not welcome here.”
‘When you act like that, you act like Donald Trump’
An elderly supporter of the US president is pushed to the ground during anti-Trump protests in London https://t.co/hDO99JOJ8h pic.twitter.com/nSWADhQEto
— ITV News (@itvnews) June 4, 2019
The man can be heard saying “get off” while other men come to help pull him from the ground.
A woman can be heard saying off-camera: “If you act like that, you act like Donald Trump, so don’t.”
Online observers condemned the physical assault.
“There’s no excuse for this behavior,” one person wrote. “Disagree by all means, but this is never right. Shocking on all levels.”
“Poor guy. He’s just supporting the president,” another wrote.
It is unclear how the incident unfolded. One person suggested that the man had tried to take another protester’s banner, prompting the physical pushback.
“Looking as carefully [at the video] as I can at the start, I think the elderly man is actually trying to pull another man’s ‘No to Racism’ banner out of his hands,” the person wrote on Twitter. “He’s then pulled away and loses his footing and falls back. Not a good look either way. Be useful to see a bit more of the start.”
Some people responded to the fact that ITV News had posted the woman’s words, “When you act like that, you act like Donald Trump” in its post.
“I’ve never seen @realDonaldTrump push an elderly person to the floor?” one person wrote.
Another wrote: “Dear sirs. Please show the video evidence of Trump physically attacking someone.”
On the day, some tens of thousands gathered to march against Trump and listen to socialist opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn speak at the anti-Trump rally in Westminster.
Organizers told The Evening Standard that they were anticipating a 250,000 person crowd, similar to their estimates for Trump’s July 2018 visit, but the ultimate turnout was far fewer, capping at a few tens of thousands, according to Fox News.
Official State Visit
On June 3, Trump arrived in London accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and others, including daughter Ivanka Trump and son-in-law Jared Kushner, two of his top advisers. He exchanged formal toasts with Queen Elizabeth II during an elaborate state banquet at Buckingham Palace.
On June 4, Trump met with outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss a bilateral trade deal to go into effect after the U.K. leaves the European Union.
“The United Kingdom is America’s largest foreign investor and our largest European export market,” Trump said at a joint press conference. “As the UK makes preparations to exit the European Union, the United States is committed to a phenomenal trade deal between the U.S. and the U.K.”
Trump praised what he called the “the greatest alliance the world has ever known” in describing the countries’ relationship as he commemorated the 75th anniversary of D-Day in World War II.
“The bonds of friendship forged here and sealed in blood on those hallowed beaches will endure forever,” he said.
Trump suggested that May should not step down, but also praised Boris Johnson, the lawmaker who is vying to be May’s replacement as the leader of the Conservative Party.
“I know Boris, I like him, I’ve liked him for a long time. I think he would do a very good job,” Trump said.
The president said that he declined to meet with Corbyn.
Meanwhile, he praised Queen Elizabeth II, calling her a “fantastic woman.”
Bowen Xiao, Zachary Stieber, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
