Amongst other things, the press lambasted the protesters for allegedly booing so loudly that they scared Boris Johnson - who described himself as the Incredible Hulk the day before - off from participating in the joint press conference with Luxembourgish prime minister Xavier Bettel.
Bettel was not exempt from criticism himself, with many taking issue with him holding the press conference and accusing him of ‘humiliating’ Johnson. Luxembourg’s prime minister later defended his position, and the official Luxembourg stance was that it was logistically impossible to move the press conference inside, as not all members of the press would have fit in whichever room could have hosted the conference.
The Daily Mail accused Bettel of stitching up Johnson and the Sun described the protesters - of which there were only about 50 to 70 - as a ‘baying anti-Brexit mob’. LBC (Leading Britain’s Conversation) radio host Nick Ferrari joined in the criticism during the week, but then had one of the protesters call in to set the record straight. Ferrari, who has been embroiled in controversies concerning remarks about asylum seekers and terror attacks being a ‘Muslim problem’, is known for his pro-Brexiteer stance.
On Tuesday, a British woman called Catherine living in Luxembourg contacted the radio host to give her perspective on the protests. She took the opportunity to stress that the protest was not an ambush, pointing out :"A lot of us are in our 40s and 50s, there were some youngsters, but most people were working or at schools so they couldn’t attend the demonstration.”
Additionally, Catherine reiterated that whilst the crowd did boo, they had been asked by the press to remain quiet when the press conference began, a point they were committed to respecting. However, as Johnson was intimidated by the booing, the press conference involving the British prime minister never came to fruition.
Ferrari treated the caller with a degree of condescension, asking what '[she] and her colleagues achieved’, and whether she thought the protest was ‘rudeness on an extraordinary level’. The protester highlighted that they have the right to stand outside whilst a meeting was being held, given how Brexit fundamentally affects British citizens living in Luxembourg. Finally, Catherine reminded Ferrari and his listeners that Johnson was treated with ‘the utmost of respect’ during his visit in Luxembourg.
Watch the full video below.
Reader poll: Johnson’s leaving and Bettel’s solo press conference - who was in the right?
Takeaway and reactions: Johnson’s absence and Bettel’s one-man press conference: a summary
Gerry Erang: Boris Goneson in Luxembourg: the day the Uncredible Hulk took to his heels
