Boris Johnson said his government had been "massively accelerating" its preparations for leaving the European Union without a deal
Boris Johnson said his government had been "massively accelerating" its preparations for leaving the European Union without a deal AFP / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday met with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel for the first time, with the visit in Luxembourg City disrupted by protesters angry over Johnson's Brexit strategy.

The day started off with Johnson being booed as he arrived at the restaurant, where he was to meet with Juncker, as crowds of protesters surrounded other government buildings in the city.

Luxembourg is a strong supporter of the EU, with its capital being home to several EU institutions, such as the European Court of Justice and the European Investment Bank.

A spokesperson for Johnson said the talks with Juncker were "constructive," while Juncker said that the meeting was aimed at discussing the "next steps" of the Brexit negotiations.

As the day continued, Johnson was scheduled to meet Bettel outside some government buildings for a press conference, but Johnson canceled the meeting due to the noise from the protesters.

Bettel then proceeded to hold the press conference outside without Johnson, next to an empty podium. Bettel said that the "clock is ticking" and that Johnson should "stop speaking and act." The statements drew applause from the protesters.

"Demonstrating is a right in a democracy and it is also important to be able to exchange and listen to each other," Bettel added.

Later in the day, Johnson told broadcasters that the meeting was canceled because "there was clearly a lot of noise and our points would have been drowned out."

Johnson plans to take the U.K. out of the EU with or without a deal by Oct. 31, although the British Parliament has made it harder for him to do so. He has asked the queen to suspend Parliament and has expelled members of his own Conservative Party for not backing his hardline Brexit strategy.