EdinburghWhile demonstrators nationwide took to the streets to condemn President Donald Trump’s visit and accuse British politicians of caving in to American demands, Trump himself played golf on Saturday at this course on Scotland’s shore.
Near Turnberry, a historic course that the Trump family’s business acquired in 2008, Trump and his son Eric played alongside Warren Stephens, the U.S. ambassador to Britain. About 100 miles (160 kilometers) away, in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the tree-lined, cobblestone boulevard in front of the U.S. Consulate.
Suggested Videos
The audience was told by speakers on a makeshift stage that Trump was not welcome and that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had struck a recent trade agreement to avoid high U.S. tariffs on products imported from the United Kingdom.
As pro-Ukrainian organizations, environmental activists, and opponents of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza loosely organized a Stop Trump Coalition, protests were organized in other cities.
June Osbourne, 52, an Edinburgh-based photographer and photo historian, protested in a red cloak and white hood, reminiscent of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” saying, “I think there are far too many countries that are feeling pressured by Trump and that they feel that they have to accept him and we should not accept him here.” Osbourne displayed a photo of Trump with the word “Resist” printed over his face.
The Republican president, according to the dual-citizen Brit, is “the worst thing that has happened to the world, the U.S., in decades.”
The crowds who gathered throughout Scotland when Trump performed at the resort during his first term in 2018 were far larger than Saturday’s protests.
However, while bagpipes were playing, people screamed “Trump Out!” They held up homemade placards that read, “Stop Trump,” “No red carpet for dictators,” and “We don’t want you here.” Welcome to the migrant community.
A sign that read, “No treats for tyrants,” was displayed by one dog.
On social media, several far-right individuals called for Trump-supporting rallies in cities like Glasgow. Trump criticized European leaders for failing to take tough measures against immigration as he arrived in Scotland on Friday night. “Europe is dying because of this immigration,” he remarked.
Trump remarked, “You had better get your act together.” Europe will no longer exist for you.
Trump is scheduled to discuss trade with Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen while in Scotland. But a big concentration is golf.
The Trumps will also stop by another Trump course in northeastern Scotland, near Aberdeen. The second Trump course will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday.
Since he took over control, Turnberry has not hosted the British Open, despite the president’s persistent efforts to get it to do so.
Friday night, he added, “There’s no place like it.”
___
This article has been updated to reflect June Osbourne’s U.S.-British citizenship status rather than U.S.-Scottish.
