Climate activists led by scientists stage latest protest
CLIMATE activist group led by scientists held another protest close to the same spot in Glasgow yesterday – two days after their first demonstration.
The group gathered on the Southside of the George V Bridge.
The leaders of the group, dressed in white lab coats, were joined by spectators banging drums and waving flags. Some were holding a sign that featured a huge pair of eyes with the words ‘We are watching you COP26’ on it.
Coastguard and sea rescue were watching the events from the bridge, as were police officers and members of Keeping Cool, an organisation designed to mediate communication between protestors and cops.
A protester handing leaflets on the bridge said: “We do not want to block the roads today. We understand there sometimes needs to be unnecessary disruption, but we also know people have to go about their day.”
Dr Charlie Gardner, and Associate Senior Lecturer at Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, opened speeches by addressing Saturday’s protest.
He said: “We have been trying to warn the world of what is coming for 30 years and have been ignored. We haven’t been invited to speak about these issues until we started putting our bodies on the line. We chose to cause disruption and get arrested because we wanted to get our voices heard.
“Over 15,000 scientists have declared that we are in a planetary emergency, but very few scientists are acting.”
Protesters then waved and cheered across the River Clyde to another group of demonstrators.
Scientist Rebellion posted on Twitter that they would be returning to the location where they staged a sit in on Saturday, but this time for a ‘teach-in’ to “debunk the four biggest myths pushed by COP26.”
Speeches began with one member posing as a delegate who introduced himself as
‘Mr Johnson’. He made four suggestions: planting ‘a trillion’ trees, carbon capture and innovation, green growth and government intervening. His ideas were met with boos from the crowd, and he told them to “quiet down.”
He said: “We’ve got this lovely COP26. I promise you it’s all going to be fine.”
White coat protesters then took the microphone from ‘Mr Johnson’ to present what they deemed more resolute ideas and criticised the plans government leaders are proposing, such as the four ‘myths’.
Spectators were then asked to share their experiences of how climate change has affected their lives and communities. One young woman from Mauritius told her story of how a Japanese ship’s oil spill in the ocean near the island caused extensive damage and killed sea creatures.
Mike Lynch-White, the cofounder of Scientist Rebellion, told spectators that the conference was going to fail again this year.
He said: “The other day Scientist
Rebellion made history. We were the first mass arrest of scientists of the climate crisis. We have made no demands of COP. It has failed 25 times and it is about to be 26. The governments have failed us. The system is killing us.”
Meanwhile, as the Glasgow Times went to press last night, reports on social media revealed that climate activists had locked on to each other and blocked Lochburn Road in Maryhill.
It was claimed the group had glued themselves to the doors of the Engine Works to disrupt a dinner of “elite” business leaders who were allegedly due to meet tonight to discuss issues within the COP26 summit.
Around 30 protesters were locked or glued on and chanting “make them pay” and “we want climate justice”.
Dinner guests beginning to arrive were said to have been turned away from the venue.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers are currently in attendance and are engaging with protesters.”