EDINBURGH: From the capital of Edin­burgh to seaside golf resorts, thousands in Scotland staged colourful, peaceful protests against Donald Trump on Saturday as the US president played golf at one of his luxury retreats.

Trump and his wife, Melania, are spending the weekend out of the spotlight at his Scottish golf resort at Turnberry, on the western coast, ahead of his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki on Monday.

On the beach outside the resort, a dozen demonstrators staged a “protest picnic,” chanting “Trump is a racist! Trump is a liar!” as hotel guests played golf just 100 meters (yards) away. A line of police, some on horseback, separated the protesters from the golf course. Snipers were also perched atop a nearby tower overlooking the vast property.

Police were still trying to find a paraglider who breached a no-fly zone on Friday night and flew a Greenpeace protest banner over the resort.

The glider carried a banner reading “Trump: Well Below Par” to protest his environmental and immigration policies. Greenpeace, in a statement, claimed the protest forced the president to take cover, saying “as the glider appears overhead, the president can be seen making for the entrance, breaking into a trot.” The environmental group said it had told police about the stunt 10 minutes before the glider arrived.

Detective Inspector Stephen McCulloch said the protester breached a no-fly zone over Turnberry hotel, committing a criminal offence.

On the eastern side of Scotland, dozens of others protested on Saturday outside Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeen. One woman climbed onto a wall surrounding the golf resort but was helped down by police.

A much larger demonstration was staged in Edinburgh, where 10,000 people weaved through the capital’s streets in an anti-Trump protest as amused tourists looked on and motorists beeped their horns in support. A choir, a bagpiper, a tambourine band and poetry readings added to the carnival spirit.

Protesters launched into the sky a 20-foot (6-meter) tall blimp depicting Trump as an angry orange baby holding a phone for tweeting. The same “Baby Donald” balloon flew on Friday over anti-Trump protests in London, where thousands crammed the streets of the British capital to vent their anger over Trump’s first official visit to Britain.

One protester in Edinburgh, posing as Spider-Man, carried a placard reminding the president that “with power comes responsibility.” “I came to Edinburgh with my daughter to show her it’s important to stand up against men like Trump,” said Caroline Blake, 31, a beautician with her 4-year-old daughter. “Anybody who thinks it’s OK to grab women and talk about them like Trump does isn’t fit to be a president of anything.” Jonathon Shafi of the group Scotland Against Trump said he wanted to show solidarity with Americans against Trump.

“It’s not acceptable that a president talks about grabbing women, separates children from their families and gives encouragement to fascist, racists, misogynists and homophobes,” he said. “We are not anti-American, just against Trump and his divisive regime.” Some walking by viewed the demonstration as a waste of time.

“I don’t see the point,” said Beth Anderson, 43, an office administrator from Edinburgh. “What Trump does and says in America is a matter for the Americans. They say he hates women and is racist, but we’ve got people like that here too.” But others say it was important to send a message even if it never reaches Trump himself.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2018