Turnberry demo fails to put Trump off his swing

Donald Trump shrugged off cries for him to quit Scotland yesterday as he taunted protesters who had gathered around his golf course

Donald Trump shrugged off cries for him to quit Scotland yesterday as he taunted protesters who had gathered around his golf course

A chorus of “No Trump, No KKK, No racist USA” greeted the US president as he played a round of golf at the famous Ailsa Turnberry course. Trump appeared unfazed by the boos and slogans that rang across the course as he goaded the protesters by waving at them from the fourth tee.

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Anti-Trump campaigners gathered on the beach next to the championship links where they were prevented from going any further by a massive security operation.

Numerous police officers, including mounted police, fanned across the beach to secure the golf course.

With Ailsa Craig and the famous Turnberry lighthouse in the background, marksmen looked down on the course from scaffolding and a police boat patrolled the sea.

The night before had seen a major security breach when a protester used a paraglider to get near to Trump shortly after he arrived at the Turnberry Hotel.

The Greenpeace protester’s daring act of protest saw him breach the air exclusion zone around the golf resort. The paraglider bore a banner saying: “Trump well below par #resist.” Greenpeace said police had been given a ten to 15-minute warning.

With the president being protected by armed officers, Police Scotland assistant chief constable Mark Williams said anyone breaching security put themselves in “grave danger”. On this occasion police had realised that there was no direct threat to the president, but officers are still hunting for the protester.

A motorcade of golf buggies accompanied Trump when he played his round of golf with his son Eric.

The president was dressed in navy blue with a jacket with the US presidential emblem on it. His outfit was topped off by a white baseball cap with USA on the front.

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Yesterday’s golf game was supposed to be the private part of a UK visit which had seen the president humiliate Theresa May by saying her Brexit plan could kill the prospect of a UK/US trade deal.

Trump was also using his break at Turnberry to prepare for his crucial summit with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Cries of “Donald, Donald... naebody likes you,” rang across the dunes as the protesters chanted: “Trump is a racist. Trump is a liar.”

One of the demonstrators was the comedienne Janey Godley, who was brandishing her placard saying “Trump is a c***”.

Godley, who did not stay long enough to see Trump on the course, said: “This is a man who has no regard for human decency. Any man that doesn’t respect women doesn’t deserve any kind of state visit. I mean even the Queen must have boaked up in the toilet. His politics are abhorrent. He’s enabled racism. He’s given the right wing the right to do Nazi salutes in the street. That’s why I’m protesting against Trump,” she added before yelling: “That and the caging of babies – you big fat roaster.”

The protesters were joined by the Green MSP, Ross Greer, who said: “This is a man who brags about the sexual assault of women and who throws babies into cages. That is not acceptable in a civilised world and we want to show him he is not welcome in Scotland.”

Hugh Taylor,67, of Moniaive, Dumfries and Galloway, grew up in the Turnberry area. He recalled learning to swim in the Turnberry Hotel pool long before it was taken over by the Trump organisation.

He also caddied on the golf course. Aged seven, his parents had taken him to try to see President Eisenhower when he was staying at nearby Culzean Castle, part of which the US general was gifted as a “thank you” from the people of Scotland for his role in the war. “I remember my parents telling me what a great man he was. It is sad when you compare him with Trump. Trump is a bawbag.” But not everybody was anti-Trump. Local resident Bill McGibbon, 74, had erected the “Stars and Stripes” in his front garden. The retired prison social worker said: “I might not like his politics, but he has done a great deal for the economy around here. There wasn’t much here before and he has employed local people.”