Thousands of protesters took to the streets Wednesday to protest U.S. President Donald Trump's arrival in the city he previously likened to a "hellhole."

"If you don't want Trump in Belgium clap your hands," chanted some, while others opted for "hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go."

Marchers carried colorful flags and banners inscribed with slogans such as "Fight Donald Trump and his billionaire friends" and "stay out of our hole," a reference to an interview Trump gave last year in which he described Brussels as "like living in a hellhole right now."

According to capital police, 9,000 people attended the rally.

The president and first lady Melania Trump arrived in Brussels Wednesday for the fourth leg of his first foreign trip as commander-in-chief. He will spend just over 24 hours in the city before flying to Sicily for the G7 summit.