US President Trump faces hundreds of protesters while golfing at Turnberry Scotland amid policy backlash
As US President Donald Trump golfed Saturday at his course in Turnberry, Scotland, hundreds of protesters took to the streets to denounce his presence in Britain, opposing the administration’s policies on immigration, war in the Gaza Strip and myriad other issues.
In Edinburgh, one woman played the bagpipes while holding an anti-Trump sign.
Mr Trump, an avid golfer who spends many weeks on his American courses, played with his son Eric and Warren A. Stephens, his ambassador to the United Kingdom, and the diplomat’s son.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Donald Trump Jr. also accompanied his father on the trip to Scotland, where they were greeted at Glasgow Prestwick Airport by a crowd of supporters.
“The best course anywhere in the world is Turnberry,” Mr Trump boasted to reporters after touching down, before saying he had a twofold message to deliver to Europe’s leaders: Halt mass migration and turn away from wind power.
On Saturday, the Scots, who opinion polls show have low regard for Mr Trump, let their opposition to his policies be known.
A group called Stop Trump Scotland organised a rally as a “festival of resistance” against Mr Trump that drew hundreds in Aberdeen, in Scotland’s north, and Edinburgh.
Protesters carried signs objecting to Trump’s policies, from the environment and immigration to trade and the war in Gaza. Several held signs invoking the current controversy circling around Mr Trump: his administration’s handling of the Epstein files, the records that pertain to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Mel Young, 58, of Alloa, held a sign that said “Release The Epstein Files.” She said her opposition to Mr Trump is far more wide-ranging than concerns about the president’s association with Epstein, but, she argued, it was the latest example of outrageous behaviour.
“I’m just so horrified by the normalisation of cruelty, corruption and mass disinformation,” she said. “This is just one tiny plot of the whole thing.”
Speaking to reporters Friday, Mr Trump denied reports that he had been briefed that his name was contained within the Epstein files.
“I’m focused on making deals,” he said. “I’m not focused on conspiracy theories.”
Mr Trump planned to meet Sunday with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, to discuss trade.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
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Originally published on The New York Times
