Members of the Scottish Parliament are this week coming face-to-face with the community on the front line of American business magnate Donald Trump's development in Aberdeenshire, as an award-winning photographer displays her photos at Holyrood.
Alicia Bruce, whose photos have recently featured in the The Times and The Scotsman newspapers, has documented the community of Menie, and in the process faced clashes with Trump's security men on a number of occasions.
Her exhibition in the lobby of the Scottish Parliament is sponsored by Green and Labour MSPs Patrick Harvie and Malcolm Chisholm. It opened on Monday 18 February 2013 and runs throughout Scottish Environment Week.
A petition drawn up by a Menie resident calling for a public inquiry into the handling of the Trump Organisation's project by Scottish authorities has also been launched this week.
Alicia Bruce commented: “I'm pleased to be showing these photographs at The Scottish Parliament as it brings the images straight to my target audience, the Scottish Government. I have witnessed first hand the horrifying treatment of the local residents and the destruction of an SSSI for a short lived commercial development.
"I urge the Scottish Government to think seriously about the damage and irreversible impact which would be caused by the proposed second golf course. Nature is already fighting against the first course and, as my photographs show, the result is bitter sweet.
"The exhibition also feature shocking new photographs of nature fighting back against the manufactured landscape created by Trump International. A large scale print of the damaged fourth tee which has collapsed in on itself during the winter months. About five metres of the course has literally fallen into the sea," she added.
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP commented: "The destruction and stress piled on the community of Menie by Donald Trump is unforgivable. This exhibition has an important role in reminding MSPs of the consequences of cosying up to arrogant bullies used to getting their way.
"The Scottish Government still has big questions to answer on its role in pushing through Trump's plans and now is the right time for a public inquiry to find out how we can stop such a scandal ever happening again," he said.
* Alicia Bruce projects: http://www.aliciabruce.co.uk/projects/ [1]
* 38 Degrees petition: http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/public-inquiry-into-handling-of-th... [2]
[Ekk/3]
