About 6,000 people joined protests against the US president as he met the king and queen of Belgium before talks with the prime minister

Donald Trump told the Belgian prime minister that the world was “in a terrible position” but that terrorism would be defeated, as he arrived in Brussels, a city he once attacked as a “hellhole”.

As 6,000 protesters took to the streets to show their anger at the presence of the US president on Belgian soil, Trump and his wife, Melania, were welcomed at the Palace of Brussels by King Philippe and Queen Matilda, who he spoke to for 20 minutes, before talks with the Belgian prime minister, Charles Michel.

“We will win,” Trump told Michel, in a reference to the fight against terrorism.

The US president, who is travelling with the secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, added: “We have different problems to discuss, but number one is terrorism. We are in a terrible situation, but we will win.” The US president was given Belgian chocolates as a welcome gift.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Donald Trump, King Philippe and Melania Trump at the Royal Palace in Brussels on Wednesday. Photograph: Thierry Charlier/AFP/Getty Images

Elsewhere in the city, however, protesters made clear their displeasure at Trump’s visit. During his campaign for the White House, Trump had said of Brussels it was “like living in a hellhole right now”.

Among the signs held aloft by those in the crowd amassed outside Brussels Gare de Nord, following an earlier “Trump not Welcome” march around the city, one said: “Trump says Brussels is a hellhole. Brussels says Trump is an ass-hole”.

Local police said they believed that about 6,000 people had joined the protests by the early evening, although further demonstrations were expected through the night.

Indi Orozco, 36, a cartoon animator, who described himself as a Mexican-Belgian, said: “I am here for many reasons, too many to say. Everything from the racism towards Mexicans and Muslims to the incompetence of his administration.”

Leigh Redemer, 31, a teacher, said: “He embodies the absolute opposite of everything America is supposed to stand for. He has such a large ego that this sort of demonstration hurts him. It actually matters.”

Lauren Clark, 26, a student living in Ghent, said it was important to protest as such free speech had not been permitted in Saudia Arabia, the first port of call on Trump’s first overseas tour. “In Europe we can protest and let him know what we feel,” she said.

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A hundred activists, organised by Amnesty International, were dressed as Statues of Liberty as the president made his second stop in Europe, following a visit to see Pope Francis in Vatican City. “He is something,” Trump later said of the Pope. “We had a fantastic meeting.”

Iverna McGowan, the director of the Amnesty International European Institutions Office, said the demonstration was necessary to let the US administration know the strength of feeling in Europe against the president’s policies. She said: “From the travel ban, to attacks on women’s rights, to the planned Mexican border wall, President Trump has overseen an onslaught of hateful and divisive policies.”

On Thursday Trump first meets the EU president, Donald Tusk, and European commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, having previously supported Britain’s shock Brexit vote and claiming the EU was a doomed would-be superstate.

He will then hold his first summit with the 28 leaders of the Nato military alliance, which he dubbed “obsolete” on the campaign trail, where he is expected to press them to join the US-led coalition against Islamic State.