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The Guardian
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Police in Scotland braced for large-scale protests if Trump visits new golf course
Police in Scotland are gearing up for a possible visit by Donald Trump later this month that is expected to take in his golf resort in Aberdeenshire. The long-rumoured visit is not expected to include a meeting with King Charles, despite earlier suggestions the US president could meet the monarch at either Balmoral or Dumfries House in Ayrshire. It is thought Trump will officially open a new 18-hole golf course at his resort on the North Sea coast at Menie, north of Aberdeen, being named in honour of his mother Mary Anne MacLeod Trump. He is not expected to visit London during the trip. The assistant chief constable Emma Bond said on Wednesday: 'Planning is under way for a potential visit to Scotland later this month by the president of the United States. While official confirmation has not yet been made, it is important that we prepare in advance for what would be a significant policing operation.' Preparations are already under way for a rare second state visit to the UK in September, which would involve a state dinner mooted for Windsor Castle and possibly an address to parliament by Trump. Bond made clear Police Scotland was braced for large-scale protests. There were demonstrations in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen during Trump's last official visit as president in 2018, with protesters flying a paraglider over the site during his visit to Turnberry. Controversy around his policies has escalated sharply since then. Various people have been arrested for allegedly causing criminal damage to holes and buildings at Turnberry earlier this year. Trump has made numerous visits to his course in Aberdeenshire, which he bought as a small country estate and opened in 2012, and several trips to his far more prestigious resort at Turnberry in Ayrshire. Mary Anne MacLeod Trump was born in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, and Trump has frequently claimed that has given him a close bond to Scotland. He has visited Lewis once and spent little over a minute in her former home. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Trump and his son Eric broke ground on the MacLeod course at Menie in 2023 and it has since been completed. Eric Trump was in Scotland in March to inspect progress, when he also met John Swinney, Scotland's first minister. Traditionally, US presidents are not offered state visits in their second term, but the political and diplomatic case for doing so this year, given the trade wars Trump has unleashed and his quixotic stance on Russia's war in Ukraine, is seen by Downing Street to be overwhelming. It is thought the proposal for Trump to informally meet Charles in Scotland this month, something mooted in the letter officially offering him the state visit, was discarded after it become clear their schedules made such a meeting impossible.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Myrtle Beach company alters beach gear rental plans for summer after judge's ruling
Cherry Grove Beach Services is changing how it handles its beach rental chairs and umbrellas this year after a judge's ruling in a lawsuit with the City of North Myrtle Beach. The business is adding express locations near busy areas in North Myrtle Beach. It also closed its retail store along Main Street. Owner Derek Calhoun said while the changes were partly because of a judge's decision last year to dismiss his lawsuit against North Myrtle Beach for not allowing him to set up beach gear along the city's shores, it was also part of the company's expansion plans. Cherry Grove Beach Services have entered into contracts to have express rental locations at The OD Pavilion, Ocean Drive Beach and Golf Resort and the Maritime Beach Club, Calhoun said. The locations are in popular spots for people who are staying in the area, he said. The company will still provide delivery services of the equipment, but won't be able to set up the gear because of the court decision, Calhoun said. Calhoun was in a two-year legal battle with the city regarding the set-up of chairs and umbrellas on the beach. Derek and Jacqueline Calhoun filed a lawsuit against the city in July 2022, claiming violation of antitrust laws, defamation and violation of state and federal contract clauses. They claimed in federal court that the city was monopolizing the rental of beach gear on the shores. A court order released on Sept. 6, 2024, stated that North Myrtle Beach has a monopoly on beach equipment setup but that it's legal under South Carolina law. A soft opening of the express locations will be every weekend beginning in May and then will be fully open Memorial Day weekend. Calhoun said as the rental service grows, he hopes to cut down on the number of chairs and umbrellas being left next to garbage cans in the city. He said he sees chairs that people bought for the week left behind to be thrown away. For vacationers, it's a cheaper option so they don't have to go get their own, Calhoun said. But for Calhoun, this option could be a make or break for the business. 'There's nothing else we know to do,' he said. The city has prohibited commercial transactions on the beaches since 1981, when the ordinance passed, according to the 2024 court order. This includes advertising, selling and completing business transactions. The ordinance was most recently updated in 2007. South Carolina law cited in the court document states that municipalities are able to 'grant franchises and make charges for use of the public beaches.' Cherry Grove Beach Gear has applied for a franchise agreement to allow the setup of beach furniture on the beach but have been denied twice. Despite being fined over $20,000 and being told repeatedly by the city to stop, the company has continued to set up beach furniture until recently, according to comments and posts on Facebook by Cherry Grove Beach Services.
