Donald
Trump is scheduled to land at Glasgow Prestwick airport after dawn on Friday
for the start of a two-day visit to Scotland. He will be greeted with
far-from-traditional Scottish hospitality, with no senior British or Scottish
politicians prepared to meet him and protesters preparing noisy and colourful
demonstrations.
US presidential candidates normally go on foreign trips to establish their foreign policy credentials, with pictures taken with world leaders for use later in the election campaign. But this is the only international trip that Trump has made since launching his bid for the White House and it is for business purposes: to formally open his newly refurbished Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire and to pop into his other golf course resort, north of Aberdeen.
While his visit coincides with the result of the EU referendum, his comments so far indicate he has little interest in, or grasp of, the arguments – though he has said publicly he supports Brexit.
Keir McKechnie, one of the organisers of the Stand Up to Trump protest planned to take place at the Turnberry Hotel, said: “We want the whole world to know he is not welcome in Scotland because of his toxic, racist views, his Islamophobia, his misogyny and homophobia.”
He said protesters had travelled from various parts of Scotland and London to take part. Three busloads were scheduled to leave Glasgow’s George Square at about 6am to reach Turnberry for Trump’s arrival, press conference and formal opening of the renovated hotel.
McKechnie, an organiser with Stand Up to Racism, estimated there would be about 200-300 protesters, many of them waving Mexican flags in protest at Trump’s planned wall along the border with the US. They will be accompanied by a mariachi band made up of Mexicans living locally in Ayrshire.
They hope to base themselves in the caddies’ car park, within shouting distance of the press conference and other events.
One of the biggest campaigning groups in the UK, 38 Degrees, is to fly a plane over the Turnberry golf resort flying a banner saying “Love Trumps Hate”.
Kathryn Stribley, a spokeswoman for 38 Degrees, said: “Donald Trump’s views have shown him to be way out of line with the values that 38 Degrees members – and most people across the UK – hold. We’re part of a movement building peace and respect in our country. We’ll do all that we can to make sure he hears that during his visit to Scotland.”
Stribley said almost 14,000 members of 38 Degrees had signed a petition calling on Trump to meet Edinburgh Muslims to help educate him about the religion.
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who has criticised Trump over his remarks about Muslims, is refusing to meet him as are other Scottish party leaders: the Conservative Ruth Davidson, Labour’s Kezia Dugdale and the Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie.
US presidential candidates normally go on foreign trips to establish their foreign policy credentials, with pictures taken with world leaders for use later in the election campaign. But this is the only international trip that Trump has made since launching his bid for the White House and it is for business purposes: to formally open his newly refurbished Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire and to pop into his other golf course resort, north of Aberdeen.
While his visit coincides with the result of the EU referendum, his comments so far indicate he has little interest in, or grasp of, the arguments – though he has said publicly he supports Brexit.
Keir McKechnie, one of the organisers of the Stand Up to Trump protest planned to take place at the Turnberry Hotel, said: “We want the whole world to know he is not welcome in Scotland because of his toxic, racist views, his Islamophobia, his misogyny and homophobia.”
He said protesters had travelled from various parts of Scotland and London to take part. Three busloads were scheduled to leave Glasgow’s George Square at about 6am to reach Turnberry for Trump’s arrival, press conference and formal opening of the renovated hotel.
McKechnie, an organiser with Stand Up to Racism, estimated there would be about 200-300 protesters, many of them waving Mexican flags in protest at Trump’s planned wall along the border with the US. They will be accompanied by a mariachi band made up of Mexicans living locally in Ayrshire.
They hope to base themselves in the caddies’ car park, within shouting distance of the press conference and other events.
One of the biggest campaigning groups in the UK, 38 Degrees, is to fly a plane over the Turnberry golf resort flying a banner saying “Love Trumps Hate”.
Kathryn Stribley, a spokeswoman for 38 Degrees, said: “Donald Trump’s views have shown him to be way out of line with the values that 38 Degrees members – and most people across the UK – hold. We’re part of a movement building peace and respect in our country. We’ll do all that we can to make sure he hears that during his visit to Scotland.”
Stribley said almost 14,000 members of 38 Degrees had signed a petition calling on Trump to meet Edinburgh Muslims to help educate him about the religion.
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who has criticised Trump over his remarks about Muslims, is refusing to meet him as are other Scottish party leaders: the Conservative Ruth Davidson, Labour’s Kezia Dugdale and the Liberal Democrat Willie Rennie.
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