U.S. Vice President JD Vance is facing strong headwinds during his vacation in Charlbury, England: villagers would like to send the famous tourist back across the Atlantic, as they made loudly clear during demonstrations. At the “unwelcome party,” there was also cake and music. With perfect weather, music, and cakes, one might almost have assumed the celebration in Charlbury was just a completely normal village festival.
But the signs carried by the “partygoers” made it clear that it was actually a protest against the policies of the U.S. Vice President. Vance mixes work and pleasure He is currently spending a holiday with his family in the quiet area and is reportedly staying in an 18th-century mansion owned by lightbulb millionaire Johnny Hornby. Earlier, he held a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy at the Chevening estate in Kent, according to the Reuters news agency. The demonstrators’ discontent in northwest Oxfordshire was mainly directed at Vance’s stance, his handling of the war in Ukraine, and the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters were quite creative with their slogans: “Make Charlbury great again – go home,” read one, in a nod to the U.S. president’s slogan “Make America great again.” Criticism of his treatment of President Zelensky One of the signs read: “JD Vance, the guy who bullied a war hero from the comfort of his sofa.” A protester told The Guardian: “The way he treated [Ukrainian President] Volodymyr Zelensky was repulsive. The Ukrainian people are heroes. The British admire how they are standing up to [Kremlin leader Vladimir] Putin. I wanted to come here to show that,” said Natasha Phillips.
“People should know what we stand for” “We want to show our feelings. Hopefully some of this will reach Vance, the U.S. press, and Ukraine so people know what we stand for,” explained Brian Murray, a 65-year-old retired tour guide, to Reuters, on why he was participating in the protest against the Republican. “The fact that he is near us gives us a great opportunity to make our voices heard.” The commotion and disruption Vance’s stay is causing is also bothering locals.
“It’s a massive intrusion. It’s not just about our lives being disrupted, it’s also about who he is,” said Briton Jonathan Mazower, explaining his participation in the protest. “I and many others are of the opinion that we can’t allow someone like that to come to our village without saying something against it publicly.” The picturesque area of the Cotswolds region is enjoying growing popularity among wealthy Americans. Some of them moved there after U.S. President Donald Trump’s election victory last year. TV host Ellen DeGeneres cited the election result as the reason for her permanent relocation to the region.
