US President Donald Trump has been accused of throwing a tantrum after claiming that Palestine solidarity campaigners who targeted his Turnberry golf course were “terrorists.”
On March 8, the historic 800-acre South Ayrshire course, bought by Mr Trump in 2014, had its greens damaged and its clubhouse daubed with symbolic red paint by Palestine Action members in response to his “genocidal plan to depopulate Gaza, and his threats to murder the entire Palestinian population.”
A spokesperson for the organisation said at the time: “Palestine Action rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes.
“To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance.
“We will continue to take action against US-Israeli colonialism in the Palestinian homeland.”
Almost a month on, Mr Trump was still sufficiently fuming over the protest for it feature in a telephone discussion with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, along with discussions on the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia.
Taking to his Truth Social platform on Sunday, Mr Trump triumphantly declared: “I was just informed by Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom that they caught the terrorists who attacked the beautiful Turnberry, in Scotland.
“They did serious damage and will hopefully be treated harshly.
“The three people who did this are in prison. You cannot let things like this attack happen and I greatly appreciate the work of Prime Minister Starmer and UK law enforcement.”
However, the US president appears to have been misinformed. Police Scotland confirmed that, while three arrests had been made, two of the suspects were later released and just one, a man aged 33, has been charged.
In a swipe at Mr Trump’s “whines” and the “lapdog” Prime Minister, Palestine Action responded: “Donald Trump may not be able to get even the simplest of facts right, but his statement shows Keir Starmer’s ambition to be Trump’s supine lapdog, allowing him, and the Israeli state and arms companies, to interfere in the British judicial process, while supporting the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“While Trump whines about his golf course and Starmer consoles him, US-supplied bombs continue to pound Gaza to rubble, with the aim of the destruction of the entire Palestinian population.
“We look forward to the day both these murderers and the other complicit Western leaders face justice.”
