Red alert! XR targets Scots in huge ‘day of action’
Lefties vow chaos amid ‘unpredictable disruption’ fears
have been warned to expect ‘unpredictable disruption’ as the protest group that brought parts of London to a standstill last week heads north of the Border this autumn.
Extinction Rebellion rallied thousands of environmental activists to demonstrate in the UK capital – causing chaos for commuters and businesses.
More than 200 arrests have already been made after key routes were blocked and some national landmarks desecrated.
Now Glasgow City Council has said it is preparing for ‘unpredictable disruption’ at the COP26 climate summit in Scotland’s biggest city in November, which is expected to attract tens of thousands of protesters.
Police Scotland confirmed senior officers have been in touch with their counterparts in London to learn lessons ahead of the event.
More than 20,000 delegates and world leaders from 196 countries will meet at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow between October 31 and November 12 to agree action to limit climate change and its effects.
Extinction Rebellion has now unveiled plans for a ‘decentralised day of action’ on Saturday, November 6, warning it will be a ‘mass mobilisation for climate justice’ with a ‘multitude of events and gatherings organised across Glasgow’.
Meanwhile, the controversial protest group, which describes itself as a ‘non-violent civil disobedience movement’, has refused to rule out demonstrations that will disrupt people’s daily lives.
A new COP26 ‘Rebel Agreement’ published by its Scottish wing states that the purpose of protests will be to ‘take urgent action in the face of climate emergency and ecological catastrophe’. It reminds protesters not to carry weapons or engage in violence, to bring no alcohol or drugs and to show ‘respect’.
The agreement urges activists to avoid actions that ‘disproportionately disrupt the lives of marginalised groups, including people of colour, disabled people, working class people, those living in poverty and homelessness, migrants and refugees’ – but there is no mention of ordinary families and children.
In London last week, Extinction Rebellion protesters blocked off roads near Oxford Circus, glued themselves to a giant table and targeted the Bank of England HQ.
At the previous COP25 meeting in Madrid in 2019, around 500,000 demonstrators gathered.
However, travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are set to cut numbers this time.
Police Scotland said policing of any COP26 protests will be ‘welSCOTS coming, friendly and proportionate’ – yet 10,000 officers will be deployed each day, making it the ‘biggest and longest mobilisation of police that the UK has ever seen’.
Assistant Chief Constable Bernard Higgins, who is coordinating Operation Urram – Gaelic for ‘respect’ – confirmed that Police Scotland was monitoring the situation in London. He said: ‘We anticipate a wide range of groups seeking to raise awareness of climate change concerns and other issues given the international audience COP26 will provide. Some disruption is inevitable.’
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: ‘Some activists may choose to take unplanned, direct action. While this is something that the council and partner agencies will plan to manage, unpredictable disruption is likely.’