Thousands in Scotland protest Trump’s visit
EDINBURGH, Scotland — From the capital of Edinburgh to seaside golf resorts, thousands in Scotland staged colorful, peaceful protests against Donald Trump on Saturday as the U.S. president played golf at one of his luxury retreats.
Trump and his wife, Melania, are spending the weekend out of the spotlight at his Scottish golf resort at Turnberry, on the western coast, ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.
On the beach outside the resort, a dozen demonstrators staged a “protest picnic,” chanting “Trump is a racist! Trump is a liar!” as hotel guests played golf just 100 yards away. A line of police, some on horseback, separated the protesters from the golf course. Snipers also were perched atop a nearby tower overlooking the vast property.
Police were still trying to find a paraglider who breached a no-fly zone Friday night and flew a Greenpeace protest banner over the resort. The glider carried a banner reading “Trump: Well Below Par” to protest his environmental and immigration policies. Greenpeace, in a statement, claimed the protest forced the president to take cover, saying “as the glider appears overhead, the president can be seen making for the entrance, breaking into a trot.”
The environmental group said it had told police about the stunt 10 minutes before the glider arrived.
Detective Inspector Stephen McCulloch said the protester breached a no-fly zone over Turnberry hotel, committing a criminal offence.
On the eastern side of Scotland, dozens of others protested Saturday outside Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen. One woman climbed onto a wall surrounding the golf resort but was helped down by police. A much larger demonstration was staged in Edinburgh, where 10,000 people weaved through the capital’s streets in an anti-Trump protest as amused tourists looked on and motorists beeped their horns in support. A choir, a bagpiper, a tambourine band and poetry readings added to the carnival spirit.
Protesters launched into the sky a 20-foot-tall blimp depicting Trump as an angry orange baby holding a phone for tweeting. The same “Baby Donald” balloon flew Friday over antiTrump protests in London.