Demonstrators also call for EU nationals to maintain rights after Brexit
PROTESTORS will gather in Scottish cities tonight to oppose an official state visit by US President Donald Trump as the move is debated in the House of Commons.
Demonstrators will gather outside the Buchanan galleries in central Glasgow and at the Mound in Edinburgh, where people will also protest for the rights of EU nationals.
The demonstrations come as thousands are expected to fill Parliament Square to call for a state visit by Trump, which was announced after UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s visit to meet the newly inaugurated president in January.
Last night, campaigning group Global Justice Now (GJN) projected “Say no to Trump” in huge letters on the side of the parliament.
GJN director Nick Dearden said: “Since assuming his presidency, Trump has been responsible for some of the most dangerous and divisive policies of our times, and it’s disgraceful that Theresa May would want to normalise his odious politics of hate by inviting him for a state visit. We’ve made this projection to stand alongside the nearly two million people who signed the petition to demand that this state visit should not take place and the hundreds of thousands of people who are taking to the streets to oppose the racism and xenophobia that Trump represents.
“We want to give a clear message to Theresa May that it’s not acceptable for her to cosy up to a leader like Donald Trump. She has no public mandate to do that and we hope MPs are going to tell her that today.”
Demonstrations at the Mound are taking place under the banner of “One day without us”, inspired by movements in the US against the deportations of Latino Americans. Protests in Scotland and the UK are urging the UK Government to maintain the rights of EU nationals living in the UK.
The demonstrations are taking place as the UK Government’s Brexit Bill is debated in the House of Lords. Some Lords are seeking to modify current legislation to give greater protection to EU nationals, though such amendments failed to gain support in the Commons.
Tens of thousands are expected to protest across the UK against Trump and for migrant rights.
Picture courtesy of Global Justice Now/Jess Hurd
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