Security is ramping up at President Trump’s luxury golf course Turnberry in anticipation of a series of protests in different parts of Scotland today.
The US President and his wife Melania flew on Air Force One to Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland last night for a two-day private stay at his famous Turnberry golf resort- but were met with protesters on the tarmac.
Today, another series of protests are set to begin, with anti-Trump campaigners already turning up to his golf course in Ayrshire, with a heavy police presence already present in the main grounds and also on the beach.
Thousands more protesters are expected in Edinburgh for a Carnival of Resistance in the Meadows area of the capital and campaigners will also gather outside the Trump International Golf Links in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire.
Security is ramping up at the Turnberry golf resort as dozens of police have been spotted in the grounds of the plush hotel resort
Police lining up and readying for protesters. President Trump is expected
Protesters have already started turning up at Turnberry, in Scotland this morning. The US President is expected to play golf at his resort later
Police at the golf course in Turnberry are preparing for further protests against the President. Mr Trump, whose mother was Scottish, and his wife are spending the weekend at his Turnberry hotel
Police standing watch on the beach at Turnberry. Thousands are also expected at a protest in Edinburgh today, with the Donald Trump baby blimp expected to be flown again
Today’s protests are a continuation of outrage against President Trump’s policies, personality and controversial statements- with the controversial baby blimp also making its way north for the protest in Edinburgh.
The 20ft inflatable depicting the US president as a nappy-clad baby holding a mobile phone has been brought north of the border after being flown above Parliament Square in London on Friday.
It prompted Mr Trump to say it made him ‘feel unwelcome’ in the city, on his second day of a four-day UK visit.
Campaigners confirmed the blimp will fly in the Meadows, where a protest march against the US presidents ends, from around noon.
Police on the march at the Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire. The Donald Trump baby blimp has also made its way north and is expected to be at the Edinburgh protest
Dozens of police waiting on the beach at the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire. President Trump is expected to play golf today and protests kick off around the country
An Edinburgh City Council spokeswoman: ‘The council, Police Scotland and the Civil Aviation Authority were happy to give it the go-ahead as there were no security concerns.’
Protester Leo Murray, one of the blimp’s ‘babysitters’, said: ‘We were inundated with messages from friends and allies in Scotland asking us to bring Trump baby up, so we really wanted to make sure that he could be a part of the amazing spread of protests taking place over the weekend.’
The city park is the latest location chosen for the giant balloon, after parliamentary officials rejected a request for it to fly at Holyrood.
Earlier, plans to fly it above the Trump Turnberry golf course as the president visits there this weekend were blocked due to airspace restrictions.
Protesters have started to turn up at Turnberry. The small group of protesters have a number of signs with the main banner saying ‘Only one baby belongs in a cage’
Protesters at Turnberry are in good spirits on the beach as the police look on in the distance
It has not exactly been the smoothest of starts in Scotland for President Trump, whose mother was Scottish.
On Friday evening when he landed Greenpeace flew a paraglider with a banner message saying ‘Trump Well Below Par’.
Ben Stewart, from the campaign group, said: ‘Theresa May should not have dignified Trump with a visit to the UK. The vast majority of British people are appalled by his words and deeds. He is, simply, the worst president ever. That’s why we flew over him with a message branding him well below par.’
President Trump said he was keen to play golf today prior to his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.
It is not clear whether he will still play if protesters are at his golf course.
In London on Friday the US President was met with 100,000 protesters in Trafalgar Square and a 20ft inflatable ‘baby Trump’ replete with nappy.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was among the anti-Trump protesters and accused Mr Trump of ‘misogyny, racism and hate’.
The threat of protests meant Mr Trump missed out on visits to Downing Street and Buckingham Palace.
He acknowledged he had been made to feel unwelcome – and suggested he might never visit London again.
Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg joined the march because of Mr Trump’s ‘crazed attacks on the EU and Nato’.
Others who had pledged to attend included Bianca Jagger and Left-wing pop star Lilly Allen.
Aerial views show the densely packed crowds who gathered at Portland Place and filling Oxford Street and Regent Street ahead of a rally at Trafalgar Square.
The colourful march began after a choir sang, the suffragette march was played on a loudspeaker and people joined in with the songs We Are Family and Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves.
It was a carnival atmosphere among the crowd, which included babies being pushed in prams plus men and women of different ages and races.
The marchers banged out a wall of noise as they headed from London’s west end to Parliament Square in a loud carnival atmosphere of drumming and cheering.
Carmichael, who played Lady Edith Crawley in Downton Abbey, held a banner which read ‘End Violence Against Women’.
The day of demonstrations began with a giant baby blimp caricature of an angry Mr Trump being flown in Parliament Square.
While the president did not personally witness the blimp’s flight, he did say it had made him ‘feel unwelcome’ in London.
The Together Against Trump march followed the Women’s March, which used the hashtag Bring The Noise, earlier on Friday afternoon, during which pots and pans were bashed and chanting erupted from the crowd against a backdrop of drumming and cheering.
Immigration, the treatment of refugee women, equal rights for women and people of different sexes were among the topics raised and organisers of that demo said more than 80,000 people had turned out.
Lucy Guy, 41, brought a handmade poster which read ‘Not even your wife likes you’.
The Nottingham-born TV comedy writer, who lives in Hackney, east London, said: ‘There are so many reasons to dislike Trump and one of them is that he is a massive misogynist.
‘We all know that he cannot stop watching the TV so I hope he might see this and it annoys him.’
The homemade banner proudly held by Emily Darnell, 40, an executive assistant from Haywards Heath near Brighton, read ‘Super Callous Fragile Racist Sexist Nazi Potus’.
She said: ‘Trump is just a vile, vile man so I felt really motivated to come here.’
Protesters said they were united against Mr Trump and many had put their creative caps on with a range of colourful banners.
James O’Brien, from Co Mayo, was selling Trump toilet paper at Oxford Circus which was attracting amused passers-by.
‘We thought it’d be fun,’ he said.
Getting the attention of potential buyers, he said: ‘The most satisfaction you can have in a toilet, kids.’
A percentage of the money raised from the toilet rolls is going towards mental health awareness.
Messages on placards included ‘This is our carnival of resistance’, ‘No Fan of Fake Tan Man’, ‘How Dare You Combover here’ plus ‘Trump Stinks’ alongside an image of a turd emoji topped off with a golden wig.