Brussels, May 26 (RHC)-- U.S. President Donald Trump was greeted by 9,000 angry protesters when he arrived in Belgium as part of his first foreign trip as president.  

Last year, Trump sparked outrage when he described Brussels as "a hellhole" because it had welcomed so many immigrants and refugees. 

Protest organizer Anne Tonglet told reporters in Brussels: "Trump is a great example of appalling machismo.  He wants to destroy the planet.  He wants to destroy people.  We are not insignificant.  We are 99 percent of the planet, against one percent billionaires, the only ones that Trump represents." 
 
At the meeting with NATO member nations, Trump denounced U.S. allies for failing to pay for their own defense as they gathered in front of him in Brussels, and accused members of the alliance of owing "massive amounts of money." 

Trump's speech on Thursday invoked memories of his earlier comments calling NATO "obsolete" and threatening that states that did not pay their way would not necessarily be defended. 

The U.S. president had reportedly called on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to pay hundreds of billions of dollars Berlin owes to the NATO.  Trump handed the bill -- thought to be for more than £300 billion ($375 billion) to Merkel during their March meeting in Washington, DC, the Sunday Times reported, citing an unnamed German minister.