Police thank protesters for behaviour as Trump leaves
● American president heads for talks with Putin in Finland ● Man arrested over paraglider banner stunt at Turnberry
Police thanked thousands of protesters last night for their “good behaviour” as Donald Trump left Scotland to go to Finland for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The unprecedented security operation organised by Police Scotland and involving thousands of officers is believed to have cost £5 million, with the UK government footing the bill.
Officers were also thanked for their work as it was confirmed that there were two arrests over the weekend.
A 55yearold man is due in Ayr Sheriff Court today in connection with a powered parachute being flown in the vicinity of Turnberry Hotel on Friday.
Donald Trump finished his whirlwind UK visit yesterday and headed to Finland for talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
The US president departed Prestwick Airport just after 4pm yesterday after four days in the UK during which he met Theresa May and the Queen and played golf at one of his Scottish resorts, all against the backdrop of mass protests against his visit. Earlier yesterday, Mr Trump played another round of golf at Turnberry in South Ayrshire where he had been staying with his wife Melania for two nights during the private leg of his visit.
While he was on the course, Police Scotland said they had arrested a man in connection with an aerial protest during the president’s arrival at the Trump Turnberry hotel on Friday night.
A 55-year-old man is due in Ayr Sheriff Court today in connection with a powered parachute being flown in the vicinity of the hotel at around 9:45pm on Friday.
Greenpeace said it had orchestrated the stunt where a paraglider unfurled a banner with the slogan: “Trump Well Below Par”.
On Saturday, Mr Trump was heckled by protesters who branded him a “racist” as he played golf with his son Eric.
At the same time, thousands of people marched through Edinburgh to demonstrate against the US president, following widespread protests on Friday with a massive march in London and events staged in cities including Glasgow and Belfast.
At Turnberry, protesters who had gathered on the nearby beach climbed a hill to ensure the president could see them when he took to the golf course.
Mr Trump waved as they shouted: “No Trump, no KKK, no racist USA”.
A 64-year-old man was arrested in relation to alleged threatening and abusive behaviour on the beach at Turnberry yesterday and was issued with a fixed penalty notice.
In Edinburgh on Saturday, crowds gathered outside the Scottish Parliament before setting off for the Meadows for a “carnival of resistance”, where the 20ft Trump baby balloon was flown.
Mr Trump set expectations low for his summit with Mr Putin, saying “nothing bad ... and maybe some good will come out” of today’s meeting in Finland.
He also told CBS News he “hadn’t thought” about asking Mr Putin to extradite the dozen Russian military intelligence officers indicted last week in Washington on charges related to the hacking of Democratic targets in the 2016 US presidential election.
But after being given the idea by his interviewer, Mr Trump said: “Certainly I’ll be asking about it”.
He blamed the Democratic National Committee for “allowing themselves to be hacked” by Russians trying to help elect him.
The US has no extradition treaty with Moscow and cannot compel Russia to hand over citizens. Russia’s constitution prohibits extraditing its citizens to foreign countries.
Mr Trump described the European Union as a “foe” of the US. “I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade.”
He said Russia is a foe “in certain respects” and that China is a foe “economically ... but that doesn’t mean they are bad. It doesn’t mean anything. It means that they are competitive”. Trump has been reluctant to criticise Mr Putin over the years and has described him as a competitor in recent days.
As Mr Trump left Scotland yesterday, police thanked thousands of protesters for their “good behaviour” during the president’s stay.
Police Scotland organised a major security operation involving thousands of officers for the US president’s stay at Turnberry golf resort and a series of large-scale protests across the country.
The unprecedented operation is believed to have cost £5 million, with the UK government footing the bill.
Officers were also thanked for their work as it was confirmed that there were two arrests over the weekend.
No arrests were made at the protests in Glasgow,
Edinburgh and Dundee, which were attended by an estimated total of 11,000 people.
Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said: “This was a major and complex policing operation involving thousands of officers that impacted right across Scotland.
“Our priority throughout was to protect the president, maintain public safety and facilitate thousands of people across Scotland to exercise their right to protest peacefully.
“I would like to thank all of the officers and staff from Police Scotland and elsewhere that worked together in helping us achieve this and in particular those who took part in the protests in Glasgow, Dundee and Edinburgh for their good behaviour.”