Nigel Farage was silently mocked by a Labour MEP as he launched a strong defence of President Trump's travel ban and accused EU leaders of "anti-Americanism".

As Mr Farage made his impassioned speech in the European Parliament in Brussels, Seb Dance, sitting behind him, held up a sign saying "He's lying to you", with an arrow pointing to the former UKIP leader.

The Labour London MEP was later quoted as saying an usher had told him to take down the sign, but he said he held it up for most of the speech.

Top EU figures, including foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, condemned Mr Trump's immigration ban, but Mr Farage claimed the US leader was just trying to protect his country from Islamic terrorists.

Under the strict controls brought in last Friday, refugees and citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries are temporarily barred from entering the US for 120 and 90 days respectively.


Critics say the measure unfairly targets Muslims, a claim the White House rejects, and officials announced on Tuesday that nearly 900 refugees will be allowed in this week.

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Mr Farage, who is close to Mr Trump and was the first British politician to meet him after his election victory, challenged MEPs to invite the Republican to come and address them in an "open dialogue".

If they did not, he said, they would be exposed as the "anti-democratic zealots" he had always suspected them to be.

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He said: "It seems to me with all the anti-Trump rhetoric that is coming from everywhere, actually what we are hearing is the true nature of the European project which is genuine anti-Americanism.

"Trump is motivated by protecting the United States of America from Islamic terrorism whereas what has happened in this room and in governments around Europe is that you have welcomed these people into your own homes."

The Pro-Brexit politician accused senior EU figures of "hypocrisy" and "faux outrage" after they failed to condemn a previous six-month travel ban on Iraqis imposed by President Barack Obama.

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Speaking about his reasons for holding up the sign, Mr Dance said: "Mainstream politics must be more willing to challenge the nationalists and the populists.

"They pretend to stand up for people who are suffering, but their diet of hate, division and suspicion create only misery and poverty.

"It's time to stop the nuanced language: They're liars."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Theresa May has said the Trump travel ban is "divisive and wrong" after failing to condemn it when asked several times by reporters last week.