Greenpeace activists executed a dramatic protest near the Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland on Wednesday, creating a massive sand etching visible only from the air. The artwork measured 55 metres by 40 metres and depicted US President Donald Trump’s face alongside the slogan, "Time to resist – fight the billionaire takeover." The image was designed to coincide with the first 100 days of Trump's second term and drew attention to Greenpeace's criticism of the US administration’s environmental policies, including the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and support for fossil fuel projects.
The protest took place on the west coast of Scotland, approximately 50 miles south of Glasgow, at the luxury golf resort owned by Donald Trump. The sand portrait, roughly half the size of a football pitch, went unnoticed by golfers on the course below but was captured in aerial footage released by Greenpeace, highlighting the scale and intricacy of the demonstration. The organisation collaborated with an arts collective to inscribe the image overnight, which was subsequently erased by the incoming tide.
Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, commented on the event, stating: "During his first 100 days President Trump has been actively working to dismantle and weaken environmental protections and attack those who fight to protect nature and our shared climate, putting the corporate profits of his billionaire friends ahead of people and the planet. It’s time to resist the billionaire takeover of our rights and freedoms." Speaking to The Independent, Hamid added: "Trump’s biggest allies are a group of unelected billionaires, including the fossil fuel company CEOs who are knowingly burning the planet, polluting our waters, and hurting communities around the world. No one voted for these corporate bullies to end free speech, but they will stop at nothing to keep their oil and gas empire alive – even weaponising the legal system to crush dissent and silence environmental activism."
This protest is the second incident in recent months involving the Trump Turnberry golf course. On 8 March, pro-Palestinian graffiti appeared on walls of the resort, and the phrase "Gaza is not for sale" was painted on one of the greens, signalling another act of political expression at the site.
The Independent reports that the Greenpeace sand art was a symbolic act aimed at drawing public attention to the direction of environmental policy under President Trump’s administration, particularly concerning climate change and corporate influence over political decisions. The resort’s prominence and connection to the former US president make it a focal point for such demonstrations.
Source: Noah Wire Services