Scots to Join Mass Protests Over Trump’s Visit

X/ @cctish
July 24, 2025 Hour: 10:45 am
Global Justice Now condemns his attempts to ‘impose the interests of economic elites.’
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump will travel to Scotland for a four-day visit focused on his golf resorts in Turnberry and Menie. His trip has triggered a major police operation, a wave of criticism and protests planned in several cities.
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Although Trump is set to make a formal state visit to the United Kingdom in September, he will use this personal trip to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney.
The meeting with Starmer will take place Monday in the Aberdeen area, near Trump’s Menie estate, located about 10 miles to the north, where he plans to inaugurate a new golf course.
Downing Street said the meeting will address the bilateral tariff agreement signed by the two countries, noting that several aspects of the deal remain to be finalized.
Swinney defended his decision to meet with the president, likely to take place at the Menie estate, saying it is “in Scotland’s interest,” citing Gaza, Ukraine and whiskey tariffs as key issues.
Large-Scale Police Operation
Scottish police have activated one of their most complex operations since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022. Thousands of officers, including reinforcements from other parts of the United Kingdom, will work in coordination with the U.S. Secret Service.
“We cannot provide numbers, but it will be a significant deployment,” said Chief of Operations Emma Bond in Glasgow.
The Scottish Police Federation has warned of potential legal action over alleged shift abuses, noting that some officers will be working up to 10 consecutive days.
On Saturday, mass protests are expected in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dumfries, organized by The Stop Trump Coalition, which brings together climate groups, labor unions and human rights organizations. “Trump does not represent Scotland’s values,” said Alena Ivanova, an activist with the group.
Liz Murray, an activist with Global Justice Now, condemned the president’s attempts to “impose the interests of economic elites.” The demonstrations will include speeches, music and messages opposing racism, authoritarianism and the climate crisis.
Environmental Controversy and Political Opposition
The Scottish Green Party has strongly criticized Trump’s visit and is calling on the Scottish Government to declare him a “persona non grata,” reminding authorities that the U.S. president was convicted in 2023 of falsifying business records and faces dozens of sexual assault lawsuits.
Environmental activists have also called for the reactivation of an “unexplained wealth order” to investigate Trump’s finances in Scotland, particularly those connected to his Menie and Turnberry golf properties.
During Trump’s previous visit to Scotland in 2018, there were massive demonstrations and symbolic actions in major Scottish cities.
In March, at the Turnberry course he bought in 2014 for US$60 million, the group Palestine Action painted slogans on the grass in protest of U.S. policy in Gaza. In April, Greenpeace unfurled a giant portrait of the president on the beach with the message “Time to Resist.”
Police have warned that showing support for Palestine Action—an organization banned by the British government—could lead to arrests under anti-terrorism laws.
Trump has repeatedly emphasized his personal ties to Scotland: his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, was born on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and emigrated to the U.S. at age 18. “Scotland is a core part of my identity,” he has said.
However, his relationship with the local community has been tense since he announced the construction of a golf course in 2006 in a protected dune area. Environmental concerns and disputes with residents have fueled controversy, and his presence continues to provoke opposition.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE