29-05-2025
Hebridean shop owners ordered to remove sign calling out Donald Trump
Lewis Revival owners Peter and Sarah Venus put up the banner which reads "shame on you, Donald John" after feeling 'powerless" watching Trump's treatment of Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House.
The vintage and house decor business is just miles from where Trump's mother, Mary Anne, was born.
Sarah, who was born in the United States, has now revealed a letter she has received from Comharile nan Eilean Siar asking her to remove the banner within the next two weeks, having concluded "the banner is an advert".
READ MORE: Meet the Hebridean shop owners taking a stand against Donald Trump
The letter stated: "We have been considering the matter to ascertain whether development has been undertaken from a planning perspective. The content of advertisements and signage is not covered under planning legislation, but the physical sign/banner etc is.
"We have now determined that our view is that the banner is an advert under the relevant regulations. This would require advertisement consent which has not been sought or granted in this instance."
The letter further argued the "scale and position" of the sign "is in a prominent position within the Stornoway Conservation Area".
Sarah told The National: "A vocal minority of individuals in my Scottish community are calling for me to take down the 'shame on you, Donald John' banner on my shopfront, calling it a 'foolish vendetta' and afraid that it might offend a few of our tourists, and that politics in the land of my birth have nothing to do with the Isle of Lewis.
"I am a naturalized UK citizen but I am very concerned about the global effect of an authoritarian regime in the US. It goes beyond the threats and intimidation of judges, the contempt of court rulings, the kidnapping and disappearances and terrorizing of communities by groups of masked thugs, the deportations without due process, the harassment of travellers at borders.
"It even goes beyond the tariffs that cripple the world economy, the abandonment of allies, the belittling of world leaders, and the sudden withdrawal of global aid programs that have led already to the deaths of many thousands from AIDS, malaria, polio, etc. It goes beyond the affinity to dictators like Putin at the expense of allies.
READ MORE: I visited Donald Trump's ancestral homeland. This is what I learned about him
"It goes beyond the arming and funding of attacks that have killed untold thousands of civilians in the Middle East and the support for starvation of children.
"It counteracts everything we should stand for as human beings. If my banner offends a small minority of the American tourists to our island, then it has hopefully drawn to their attention that our values are not theirs."
In response the the council, Sarah has asked for copies of planning permission applications received for the "multiple" other banners in the conservation area.
The shop continues to offer islanders are being offered free signs which also say the statement.
The Western Isles council has been contacted for comment.
