No warm welcome for Donald Trump at Aberdeen protest
Protesters gathered in Aberdeen ahead of Donald Trump’s visit to his North East golf course.
There was no warm welcome for Donald Trump to be found in Aberdeen city centre as hundreds gathered to oppose the visit of the US President.
Union Terrace was decorated with flags and placards, some written in the spirit of the late Janey Godley and her infamous sign, as the Stop Trump Coalition protest got underway.
One woman, from Newport-on-Tay, waved her Donald Trump toilet brush in defiance of the President of the United States and his arrival in Scotland.
Pam Lowe, 77, said: “My father came from Poland, now Ukraine and what Donald Trump has done , and particularly his interview with Zelensky, well I am disgusted with him.
“That is why I felt I had to come today. The toilet brush is actually used in my bathroom - and I have great fun using it.”
A large array of interests and groups were represented at the protest, including speeches from trade unions, climate justice campaigners and those deeply opposed to the war in Gaza taking to the stage. It was these speeches that roused the strongest reaction amongst the crowds as Palestinian colours flew high.
Mostly, people said they wanted their opposition to Trump’s visit, when he is due to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney in the North East, to be seen.
Craig Donald, 35, from Aberdeen, said: “I came as I wanted to register my disapproval of Trump's visit to Scotland. Donald Trump is a racist, he is a misogynist and he is wanting to turn back the clock on issues like abortion, for example.
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“Today, he made a speech that Europe is being overrun by immigrants. I want to register my disapproval of everything he stands for and I don’t think he should be coming and, quite frankly, it is a disgrace that we are having to pay for his security.”
Mr Donald brought a sign urging the ‘Mango Mussolini to Ging Awa’, which was made after a ‘couple of drinks’ on Friday night.
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He added: “Ultimately, it is a shame we have to come here to protest against this man coming, but we wanted to inject a bit of humour into it as well . We put a bit of Doric in there. I am just glad there are so many people here to oppose Donald Trump being in Scotland.”
Gabrielle Reith, 48, from Aberdeen, held up her sign - ‘Donald Yer a Loser- during the speeches.
She said: “Donald Trump stands for everything that I don’t. He is part of what is wrong with the world and the billionaires that are stripping everything from us - all the resources, all the human rights - that we should have.
“He is destroying the climate, he has destroyed part of the natural environment in Aberdeenshire.
“I felt very strongly about the golf course at Menie . He destroyed a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and took away the rights of the people who lived there.
“If you don’t speak out you are part of the silent majority, the people who don’t come to protests but still have opinions. I was brought up to believe that protest was important.”
Maggie Chapman, Green MSP for North East Scotland, opened speeches.
She said : “I think it really important to stand in solidarity with Aberdeen and the rest of Scotland today to say that Trump is not welcome here - and neither are his politics.”
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