Hundreds to protest Donald Trump visit to Turnberry

Donald Trump will be met by hundreds of protesters today when he leaves the US election trail and comes to Scotland to relaunch the Turnberry golf resort.
Donald Trump will return to Turnberry for its official relaunch. Picture: John DevlinDonald Trump will return to Turnberry for its official relaunch. Picture: John Devlin
Donald Trump will return to Turnberry for its official relaunch. Picture: John Devlin

The hugely controversial Republican candidate for the White House will be
greeted by a “Stand Up To Trump” protest when he re-opens the resort following its £200 million refurbishment.

Ahead of his visit, protest organisers accused the US billionaire of “ramping up levels of racism, Islamophobia and bigotry” during his attempt to succeed Barack Obama.

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The protest is supported by a number of organisations including Stand Up to Racism Scotland, the Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees and Unite the Union Scotland.

In addition, an aeroplane trailing a banner with the message “Love Trumps Hate” will fly over Turnberry, organised by campaigning association 38 Degrees.

Mr Trump is coming to Scotland despite almost 587,000 people signing a petition calling for the billionaire to be banned from entering the UK.

His proposed policies, including a plan to build a wall on the United States border with Mexico and temporarily banning Muslims from
entering America, have angered many.

Keir McKechnie, spokesman for Stand Up to Racism
Scotland, said: “His message of hate is one that we’ll challenge and we would not encourage anyone to support him in his presidency.

“Although this
protest happens to be taking place in Scotland, we want to represent people across the whole of the UK and beyond who reject Trump’s racism and Islamophobia.”

Jonathan Shafi, co-ordinator of Scotland Against Trump, has organised coaches to take protesters to Turnberry.

He told the BBC: “We’ll be organising a protest which will reflect the broad
opinion of Scots that his values are incompatible with ours.”

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Jeane Freeman, the SNP MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, told the BBC: “There is not a single thing that I have seen reported that
Donald Trump has said
during his bid for the US
leadership that I would agree with – not a single one of his political views. But he has made a significant investment of hundreds of millions in this area and that matters in terms of the local jobs that will bring and the opportunities for
people locally.”

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