RESIDENTS took to the streets in Ashburton on Monday night to express their anger at US President Trump’s race policies, and to call for a ban on his intended state visit to the UK later this year.

Around sixty people from the surrounding area displayed anti-Trump placards, in unity with hundreds of other demonstrations around the UK at the same time.

The demonstrations were rapidly arranged in response to Trump’s ‘Muslim travel ban’, which was enacted across the US at the weekend. The ban targeted citizens from seven mainly Muslim countries and forced people off planes, held them at airports and returned some to native, war-torn areas. The ban bars citizens born in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Demonstrations against the ban have been held in the US and worldwide.

Virginia Turbett, from Ashburton Refugee Support Group, said: ‘This was one of hundreds of demonstrations around the country with thousands of people coming out to say that a man who makes executive orders banning a religious group and threatening the rights of women and minorities is not welcome here.

‘We wanted to support our Muslim friends who live and work in Ashburton who contribute to our community and are already suffering a rise in racism post-Brexit and are now further threatened by the hateful, Islamaphobic rhetoric and actions of Trump.

‘He has only been in power one week yet he has managed to strike fear in the hearts of millions throughout the world by condoning torture and demonising minorities.

‘Refugees are women, men and children who’ve been forced from their homes by war, famine or catastrophe - many of them fleeing terrorist groups such as ISIS. To be discriminated against on the grounds of religion is illegal in this country and the US yet Trump overrides laws and common sense with his legally questionable executive orders.

‘My 92 year-old mum came to the demo because she wanted to speak out against what is happening in the US and to stand in solidarity against the Muslim ban, sending the message that our government needs to do more to speak against Trump.

‘We have to stand up for mutual US and UK values of tolerance, inclusion mutual understanding and respect and that is why we were out today and will be again and again while this situation endures.’

Buckfastleigh residents joined the Ashburton protest, including Cllr Andy Stokes of Buckfastleigh Town Council.

He said: ‘I would like to see Trump not only not invited for a state visit, but banned from UK entry until he retracts his racist and completely irrational edicts keeping Muslim’s out of the US and building a wall which is an insult to the Mexican people.

‘The UK has in the past banned Muslims who have promoted terrorism and other people whose extremist policies have been seen to contravene our human rights legislation from entering the country - I think that Trump’s recent policies would be in contravention to the Race Relations Act and the Equality Act and promotion of his views is an incitement to racial hatred and religious intolerance, so it would be entirely reasonable to use these same powers against him.

‘It would also be a symbolic act - to show him what not being welcome in a country would feel like and to show our solidarity with people who he is targeting.

‘Most of all, all countries around the world have to have the courage to stick to their ethical and moral principles and send him the message that what he is doing is completely unacceptable.’

Demonstrations were also held in Exeter, Plymouth and Totnes.