THE visit of Donald Trump will require the biggest police operation in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth, Police Scotland has said.
The US president is due to visit his golf courses in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire between July 25 and 29, and policing of the visit is being described as “significant and complex”.
Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond, who is heading up the operation, told journalists at a press briefing it was set to be the biggest event for the force since the death of Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral in September 2022.
The Queen’s coffin had to be transported from the Balmoral estate to Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh by road on a six-hour journey by hearse.
Asked if it was the biggest operation since then, Bond said: “I think it probably is.”
Questioned about whether it was a bigger event than the Queen’s death for Police Scotland, she went on: “I would need to go back and look at specific numbers.
“It is a significant and complex operation, it will have an impact on a number of parts of Scotland and the priority is to make sure that it passes off with the least amount of disruption and the focus is on making sure that the president is safe while he is here and can enjoy his time.”
It is not yet known where the president is planning to be on each day of his visit.
It has, however, been confirmed he will meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer while in [[Aberdeen]], and plans are being put in place for the president to meet First Minister John Swinney.
Last time Trump visited in 2018, there were widespread protests and he was heckled as he played golf at Turnberry with his son Eric.
Police are working on the assumption there will be protests in Ayrshire, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh, she said.
Bond was asked specifically about what action might be taken around people showing support for Palestine Action and in particular whether people would be arrested if they wore t-shirts saying “Genocide in [[Palestine]]. Time for Action”.
There have been a number of people arrested in recent days for wearing such t-shirts, which has attracted widespread concern.
Bond said she as unable to give assurances that people wearing these t-shirts would not be arrested.
On the point of Palestine Action, she said: “Any support for Palestine Action, be that in terms of clothes worn, be that in terms of banners held, would be regarded as and is now an offence under the Terrorism Act and people are liable to arrest for those offences.”
She added: “I couldn’t be specifically proscriptive because it absolutely is down to what we assess on the ground and not everything is as clear cut as necessarily it might be in some circumstances.
“We have had some cases where individuals have worn a t-shirt that says I support Palestine Action, those sorts of things are far clearer than we might face in other circumstances so I couldn’t be proscriptive. The onus will be on us to show how the actions demonstrate support for Palestine Action if there are arrests made, that would need to be a criteria met.”
Asked if people wearing the “Genocide in Palestine, Time for Action” shirts could be assured they wouldn’t be arrested because it’s not a direct affiliation with Palestine Action, Bond said: “No I can’t give any assurances until I can understand the full context and circumstances because it may not just be what is being worn. It may be words that are being said alongside, so I think it would be wrong to look at one particular thing in isolation.”
The force has submitted a request for “mutual aid” to the force in Northern Ireland ahead of Trump’s first visit since he was elected for a second term.
A request for mutual aid is a formal agreement between different police forces to provide assistance to each other, especially during major incidents or when one force’s resources are stretched.
The Scottish Police Federation said on Monday it was seeking legal advice over plans surrounding the visit.
General secretary David Kennedy said he was concerned Scotland does not have enough officers to handle such a major event.
Bond said she was confident that concerns raised by officers would be resolved.
“Officers are making sacrifices on a daily basis to keep communities in Scotland safe,” she said.
“We work hard and the federation play an important role so we are working with them to make sure any issues or concerns they have are resolved but I’m confident with the plan we have in place and a key component of that is looking after the wellbeing and welfare of our officers.”
Swinney has said policing in Scotland will not be “put in a detrimental position” because of the cost of Trump's visit.
Speaking to the PA news agency during a visit to Aberdeen, Swinney said talks were still ongoing about how costs would be handled for the visit, but said that Scotland’s police force would not suffer as a result.
“Police Scotland will obviously have to deal with the circumstances that they face in relation to the policing operation,” he said.
“They are seeking mutual aid because the scale of the operation that is required requires additional resources that couldn’t ordinarily be justified in Scotland’s circumstances.
“But obviously, we’ll work with Police Scotland, with the Scottish Police Authority and with the United Kingdom Government on the costs.”
Pushed on whether that funding would have to come from the already allocated policing budget, the First Minister said: “We’ll obviously work closely with Police Scotland on the funding of this policing operation and make sure that policing in Scotland is not in any way put in a detrimental position as a consequence of the visit of President Trump.”
