Donald Trump protests: Activists gather in Edinburgh to oppose US President's UK visit

Donald Trump may have chosen to skip Scotland during his official UK state visit, but that didn’t stop protesters from sending a message from north of the Border.

Activists gathered in Edinburgh.

Activists turned out in both Edinburgh and Glasgow on Tuesday to oppose the US president’s presence on British soil.

More than 150 people protested outside St Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile, bearing placards declaring ‘No to Trump, no to war’ and ‘migrants and refugees welcome here’.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard addressed the crowd standing next to a papier-mâché head depicting Mr Trump.

Members of the crowds held up placards.

Thousands of protesters greeted Mr Trump with both anger and British irony in London, crowding the city’s government district while the US leader was meeting Prime Minister Theresa May nearby.

Feminists, environmentalists and peace activists demonstrated against the lavish royal welcome being given to a president they see as a danger to the world.

“I’m very cross he’s here,” said guitar teacher Katie Greene, carrying a home-made sign reading “keep your grabby hands off our national treasures” under a picture of one of the Queen’s corgis.

A day of protests began with the flying of a giant blimp depicting the president as an angry orange baby, which rose from the grass of central London’s Parliament Square.

Meanwhile, activists from Extinction Rebellion locked themselves to the outside of the Scottish Parliament for several hours before they were freed yesterday in a protest against climate change.