President Donald Trump will not be visiting the American cemetery in Margraten, despite an invitation from the mayor to commemorate the 80th anniversary of freedom. The municipality of Eijsden-Margraten confirmed that Trump will not be attending the event.

The decision follows an ‘anti-Trump petition’ signed by 4,800 residents, nearly a fifth of the municipality, protesting the invitation. The proposed visit was scheduled to coincide with the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24 and 25.

The reason for Trump’s refusal remains unknown. The cemetery in South Limburg serves as the final resting place for more than eight thousand American soldiers who perished during the Second World War.

According to Franklin Boon, co-initiator of the petition, the soldiers buried at Margraten died defending freedom and democracy in the Netherlands. He stated that Trump’s presence would be unwelcome, as he believes the former president undermines those very values.