Bill for policing climate protests hits £500k
● MSP flags up cost to taxpayer of action that ‘disrupted lives’
Taxpayers have been left with a near £500,000 policing bill from a week-long climate protest at Holyrood last month.
Members of Extinction Rebellion set up camp outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh as MSPS debated new legislation on setting targets to tackle climate change.
Tory MSP Edward Mountain, who uncovered the cost through a Freedom of Information request, said: “Noone’s saying the environment isn’t something worth campaigning for.
“But it’s plain to see this particular week-long stunt did more harm than good.
“They got up people’s noses and disrupted the lives of ordinary working folk, who were simply trying to go about their daily business in peace.
“Now we learn they’ve cost the taxpayer £500,000 as well. That’s money that could have been spent on supporting police officers and making Scotland safer, but has instead been diverted to this needless charade.”
Barricades were manned and security beefed up in a bid to prevent any disruption inside the chamber as MSPS debated.
Internal doors to committee rooms were locked and visitors were banned from bringing bags or any liquids into the building during the protests. Police chiefs confirmed the total cost of the operation as £469,196, but refused to give a number of how many officers were involved.
During the session, MSPS voted through amendments to the Climate Change Bill to cut greenhouse emissions to net zero by 2045.
But this would mean missing the 2025 target deadline set by members of Extinction Rebellion Scotland by 20 years. The group’s campaigners closed two of the Scottish city’s busiest roads during one afternoon rush-hour last month after a day of playing cat and mouse with police.
There were tailbacks lasting more than two hours on Lothian Road after protesters locked themselves together and lay down in the street.
A similar stunt also saw South Bridge briefly blocked, though officers cleared and arrested protestors to get traffic moving again.
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “We have a duty to facilitate peaceful, lawful protests and will engage with the organisers of events to ensure that they are policed appropriately.”
The cost was revealed as Scotland Yard pledged to do everything in its power to stop a repeat of the large-scale disruption caused by Extinction Rebellion in London earlier this year.
Another mass demonstration is planned for 7 October when police resources are likely to be stretched.