Two Extinction Rebellion activists have been arrested after padlocking themselves to the Scottish Parliament building.
The eco stunt was attempted by demonstrators this morning, with two succeeding in clamping themselves to the outer Holyrood building. Keys for the locks were sent to John Swinney and two other SNP ministers with letters asking the MSPs to come out and personally unlock them.
The protest was against plans for a second gas power station in Peterhead. The Scottish Government is currently reviewing whether the plant should go ahead.
Extinction Rebellion (XR) Scotland claimed Police Scotland had covered the protest with black screens, preventing members of the public from seeing the chained-up activists or their banners.
The group added: “A Scottish government official confirmed that letters to the ministers with the keys had been received. While the MSPs did not appear, we were informed there will be an official response from the Scottish Government.
“The pair were then unlocked and taken into police custody, to be charged with Breach of the Peace at Livingston Police Station.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Around 11.40am on Thursday, 7 November 2024, we were made aware of a group of protestors on Horse Wynd, Edinburgh. Officers attended and two women aged 46 and 69 have been arrested and charged in connection. They have been released on an undertaking to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.”
Activists insist controversial plans for a second gas-burning power station in Peterhead run by SSE and Equinor will harm climate efforts. And they dismiss claims that the new plant will harness carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology to offset emissions as unproven.
The two energy firms say the power station is needed for the nation’s energy security and that it will capture at least 90 per cent of the site’s carbon emissions.
Speaking earlier, John Hardy, speaking for XR Scotland, said: “Our protest at the Scottish Parliament is about calling for meaningful action against the climate crisis. CCS is not the solution it’s made out to be; it is a lifeline for oil and gas companies who wish to continue extracting fossil fuels while cloaking themselves in the illusion of environmental responsibility.
“We cannot allow our future to be dictated by ‘magical’ technological fixes that merely prolong the fossil fuel era and distract from the urgent need for a rapid and just transition to renewable energy. We demand real solutions, not empty promises. Our lives depend on it.”
Gary Jack, also of XR Scotland, added: “If saving the planet is not a good reason for rejecting the application, economic logic certainly is. Tying Scotland to a further 25 years plus of imported gas gives us no energy security and leaves us open to further inflated international gas prices.”
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