Trump plays golf in Scotland while protesters take to the streets and decry his visit
Trump and his son Eric played with the US ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, near Turnberry, a historic course that the Trump family's company took over in 2008.
Hundreds of protesters gathered on the cobblestone and tree-lined street in front of the US Consulate about 160 kilometres away in Edinburgh, Scotland's capital.
Speakers on a makeshift stage told the crowd that Trump was not welcome and they criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for striking a recent trade deal to avoid stiff US tariffs on goods imported from the UK.
Donald Trump (2L) reacts as he plays golf at the Trump Turnberry Golf Courses, in Turnberry. AFP
Protests were planned in other cities as environmental activists, opponents of Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza and pro-Ukraine groups loosely formed a "Stop Trump Coalition."
"I think there are far too many countries that are feeling the pressure of Trump and that they feel that they have to accept him and we should not accept him here,' said June Osbourne, 52, a photographer and photo historian from Edinburgh who protested wearing a red cloak and white hood, recalling "The Handmaid's Tale." Osbourne held up picture of Trump with "Resist' stamped over his face.
The dual-US-Scottish citizen said the Republican president was "the worst thing that has happened to the world, the US, in decades.'
Golf carts are parked surrounding President Donald Trump as he plays golf at the Trump Turnberry golf course. AP
Saturday's protests were not nearly as large as the throngs that came out across Scotland when Trump played at the resort during his first term in 2018. But bagpipes played, people chanted "Trump Out!' and raised homemade signs that said "No red carpet for dictators," "We don't want you here' and "Stop Trump. Migrants welcome.'
One dog had a sign that said "No treats for tyrants.'
Some on the far right took to social media to call for gatherings supporting Trump in places such as Glasgow. Upon arriving in Scotland on Friday night, Trump admonished European leaders for not cracking down on immigration.
"This immigration is killing Europe," he said. "You better get your act together,' Trump said. "You're not going to have Europe anymore.'
While in Scotland, Trump is set to talk trade with Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. But golf is a major focus.
The Trumps will also visit another Trump course, in the Aberdeen area in northeastern Scotland. They plan to cut a ribbon on Tuesday, opening the second Trump course.
The president has long lobbied for Turnberry to host the British Open, which it has not done since he took over ownership. "There's no place like it,' he said on Friday night.
Associated Press
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Middle East Eye
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It would set the terms for any future peace process, in which the end goal must include a Palestinian state, reaffirming the British government's stated commitment to a two-state solution, as outlined in its announcement. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters So why were Palestinians and others not out on the streets celebrating the British government's announcement that emerged from an emergency recall of the cabinet? Empty gesture It is worth revisiting the statement that outlines the conditions under which Britain has said it would recognise Palestine. The cabinet decision stipulates that recognition will proceed only if Israel fails to meet a series of conditions: it must commit to a ceasefire and take action to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including "allowing the UN to restart the supply of aid, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank". Netanyahu could, if he wished, respond: fine, go ahead and recognise Palestine - but you will be recognising a dream, not a reality The result is a surreal formulation: recognition of the Palestinian right to statehood and self-determination is no longer treated as a right, but as something conditional on Israeli intransigence. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could, if he wished, respond: fine, go ahead and recognise Palestine - but you will be recognising a dream, not a reality. Yet the announcement also presents options for Hamas. Contrary to the simplistic anti-Palestinian narrative that this would be a "reward" for Hamas - that it could block a ceasefire and still secure recognition - many within the Palestinian national movement see it differently. Although Hamas did accept the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state framework in its modified charter of 2017, it has had little interest in pushing for this as a goal. For the resistance group, such a move reeks of the despised Oslo process. Still, Hamas does not want an already discredited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah to gain credit among Palestinians for any recognition. Vague demands Looking closely at the British conditions on Israel, Starmer's team has embedded enough vague language to allow the prime minister considerable leeway. What are the "substantive steps" Israel must take in Gaza? This is never clarified. There is no requirement that Israel withdraw its forces. These decisions are left to Starmer's interpretation. Israel is asked to commit to a "long-term sustainable peace", yet there is no mention of a two-state solution in that vision, let alone an end to the occupation. The language is so vague as to be meaningless. On the very day that the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) determined that Gaza is experiencing famine - brought on by an Israeli policy of starvation - the British government demanded only that Israel "allow" the UN to resume humanitarian deliveries. But the UK has been making this demand for months. Why would it succeed now? Worse, this statement is even weaker than the previous ones. "Allowing" the UN to deliver limited aid is not the same as demanding full, unimpeded access for all humanitarian agencies. The UK also insists that Israel must commit to a ceasefire. But what kind? A temporary truce, as the Israeli government has long sought, or a permanent one that Hamas is demanding? If Netanyahu claims to accept specific US terms for a ceasefire - terms that Israel likely helped shape - would that be enough to claim Israeli compliance? Even before this announcement, Netanyahu may have been planning for a ceasefire by the end of August, having spent a month mopping up what remains in Gaza. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel's war on Gaza What else is left to bomb? He could declare an end to military operations while keeping his forces on the ground. He knows the war is unpopular in Israel. He can claim victory and shift the focus to the West Bank. He can allow limited aid to enter Gaza through the UN, just enough to reduce starvation deaths. As for the West Bank, the British conditions are hardly stronger. Netanyahu need not announce annexation any time soon. Settlement expansion can continue - including the doomsday E1 project - without violating any of the terms outlined by Starmer. Non-negotiable There is no reason that Britain's recognition could not have happened in July. Imagine how much more powerful it would have been if France and Britain had stood together at the UN, announcing recognition with solemn conviction. President Emmanuel Macron and Starmer could have shown real leadership. Instead of recognising 'Palestine', countries should withdraw recognition of Israel Joseph Massad Read More » Yet the most egregious failure of the announcement lies in the absence of any sanctions on Israel for its conduct in Gaza, even as it continues its genocide. Sanctions should have been imposed, with the possibility of suspension only if Israel met a clear and enforceable set of demands, including full, unimpeded humanitarian access. That is where conditionality ought to have been placed. Instead, the British government has been reduced to airdropping aid into Gaza - the least effective and most dangerous method of humanitarian delivery. The fittest will get it first; the neediest will get it last. British weakness is on full and painful display. Recognition of a Palestinian state should never have been subject to negotiation. It is not a tool to punish Israel. It is a right to be upheld, not a pawn in a diplomatic game. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
