LONDON, March 9, 2025 — Pro-Palestinian activists claimed responsibility on Saturday for vandalizing Trump Turnberry, one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s premier golf resorts in Scotland, in a dramatic protest against his controversial proposal to evacuate the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population. The incident, which occurred overnight at the luxury resort in southwest Scotland, involved defacing the property with red spray paint and carving messages into the pristine greens, drawing international attention to the escalating backlash against Trump’s Middle East policy. As of today, Sunday, March 9, 2025, Police Scotland has confirmed an ongoing investigation into the vandalism, which has sparked debates over political expression, property rights, and the future of Gaza.
The activist group Palestine Action, based in the United Kingdom, issued a statement on Saturday asserting that the attack on Trump Turnberry was a direct response to the president’s suggestion that the United States “take over” Gaza, resettle its more than 2 million Palestinian residents, and transform the war-torn territory into what he has called the “Riviera of the Middle East.” According to reports from the Associated Press, activists painted the phrase “Gaza Is Not For Sale” in giant letters across the lawn and splattered red paint on the exterior walls of the resort’s clubhouse. Additional damage included dug-up sections of the golf course, with slogans such as “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine” scrawled across the property, as documented in photos released by Palestine Action and reported by Reuters.
“We reject Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes,” Palestine Action declared in a statement quoted by CBS News. “To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance.” The group’s actions were framed as a symbolic retaliation, mirroring what they perceive as Trump’s cavalier approach to Palestinian sovereignty. Video footage circulating on social media, credited to activist Hassan Ghani and published by Reuters, showed the extent of the damage, including a drone view of the defaced clubhouse and disrupted greens.
Police Scotland responded to the incident in the early hours of Saturday, March 8, 2025. “Around 4:40 a.m. on Saturday, 8 March, 2025, we received a report of damage to the golf course and a premises on Maidens Road, Turnberry,” a spokesperson told the BBC. “Enquiries are ongoing, and anyone with any information is asked to contact 101, quoting reference 0636 of 8 March 2025.” The investigation has yet to identify suspects, but the high-profile nature of the target ensures it will remain under scrutiny.
Trump’s Turnberry resort, located in South Ayrshire, is a crown jewel of his global real estate portfolio. Purchased in 2014 for $60 million from a Dubai-based company, the 800-acre property underwent extensive renovations and is widely regarded as one of the world’s top golf destinations, having hosted the British Open four times—most recently in 2009, before Trump’s ownership. A spokesperson for Trump Turnberry condemned the vandalism, telling Fox News, “This was a childish, criminal act, but the incredible team at Trump Turnberry will ensure it does not impact business. Turnberry is a national treasure and will continue to be the number one beacon of luxury and excellence in the world of golf.” Despite the damage, the resort has vowed to repair the course swiftly, though the incident has reignited questions about its exclusion from the British Open rotation since Trump’s acquisition.
The vandalism stems from Trump’s provocative statements on Gaza, first aired during a February 2025 news conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to The Washington Post, Trump proposed that the U.S. assume a “long-term ownership position” over Gaza, displacing its Palestinian population to neighboring countries like Egypt or Jordan while redeveloping the area into a luxury destination. The plan, which Netanyahu has publicly endorsed as “visionary,” has drawn widespread condemnation from Palestinians, Arab nations, and human rights experts, who argue it violates international law. Last month, Trump doubled down, posting an AI-generated video on Truth Social depicting a glitzy “Trump Gaza” resort, complete with himself and Netanyahu lounging by a pool—a move The Independent described as further inflaming tensions.
The Arab League and foreign ministers from Muslim nations rejected Trump’s proposal on Saturday, March 8, 2025, with a joint statement reported by Newsweek asserting their opposition to “plans aimed at displacing the Palestinian people individually or collectively.” Meanwhile, an alternative $53 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza, backed by Egypt and supported by European nations like France and Germany, has emerged as a counterproposal, though it faces resistance from both Israel and the Trump administration.
This incident marks a rare instance of Trump’s personal properties abroad becoming direct targets of political protest, but reliable sources documenting similar actions elsewhere remain limited. In the United States, Trump’s properties have occasionally faced demonstrations tied to his political stances—such as climate protests at Trump Tower in New York or immigration rallies near his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida—but none have matched the physical destruction seen at Turnberry, based on available reporting from outlets like The Washington Post and AP. Internationally, the Scotland vandalism stands out as a bold escalation, though it coincides with a separate protest in London on the same day, where a man waving a Palestinian flag scaled the Elizabeth Tower (commonly known as Big Ben), as noted by Reuters. No direct link between the two events has been established. 17GEN4.com
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