Scottish Green co-convenor declares US President unwelcome in Scottish Parliament
THOUSANDS of Scots have marched through Edinburgh, calling for US President Donald Trump to be barred from entering Scotland.
The demonstration is the latest in a new movement which has swept Scotland and the world since Trump came to office at the end of January and began imposing some of the most rightwing elements of his political programme, including an executive order banning people from seven Muslim majority nations from entering the US, and the construction of a border wall between the US and Mexico.
Marchers chanted “Trump says build a wall, we say tear it down”, “say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here” and “hey Theresa, no Trump visa” as they walked from the Meadows, through Edinburgh city centre to the US consulate at Regent terrace before moving on to the Scottish Parliament.
Speaking before the start of the march at the Meadows, Scottish Green Party co-convenor Maggie Chapman said: “Donald Trump isn’t welcome in Scotland, he isn’t welcome on our streets, he isn’t welcome in our communities and he certainly isn’t welcome in our parliament.”
Up to 3000 march in Edinburgh against Donald Trump
The comments come after House of Commons speaker John Bercow made a statement last week, in which he said the Westminster Parliament’s opposition to “racism and sexism” meant that Trump was not welcome to speak there. Bercow has faced calls from Conservative MPs to stand down from his position since making the statement, as the Tories are depending on a strong new relationship with the Trump administration following the UK’s exit from the EU.
Addressing crowds outside the Scottish Parliament, vice chair of the Unite Black workers committee Suki Sangha quoted Black Panther Fred Hampton, saying that “the answer to racism is solidarity, the answer to capitalism is socialism” and that to prevent the further growth of the nationalist far right working class people would have to defeat the economic inequality about which “people are right to be angry”.
Refugee rights activist Pinar Aksu called for unity in the movement against Trump, and for everyone to attend the UN anti-racism day march in Edinburgh on 18 March in Glasgow.
One of the protest organisers, Jonathon Shafi, said that further protests and “direct action” would be announced soon. He told activists to prepare for a potential visit to Scotland by Trump.
Trump has said he will consider re-drafting his executive order against Muslims entering the US after a federal appeals court upheld a restraining order suspending it.
The UK still plans a state visit for Trump to the UK, despite the parliamentary ban. Most of Trump’s economic assets in the UK are in Scotland where he owns several resorts. Trump came to Scotland during his presidential debate, sparking speculation he may return to Scotland during his state visit.
You can watch more videos, including interviews with speakers at the march, here.
Picture courtesy of Facebook
Video: Independence Live
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