Extinction Rebellion protests: The activists who plan further disruption in Scotland to prevent 'environmental destruction'

Som 200 attended the pre-protest briefing alone with many more expected later.

And they have confirmed that they will play a major role in the fourth youth strike for climate on Friday, May 24.

The group is promoting the half hour march from the People's Palace in Glasgow to George Square "to highlight the climate crisis and the inaction of our own government" and intend staying in the city centre for three hours.

READ MORE: Extinction Rebellion protests: Mass demonstrations set for Edinburgh and London 

Scotland Yard said that the total number of people arrested in connection with the ongoing climate change protest in London on Monday rose to 113.  XR wants to "shut down London" until April 29 in a series of protests.

The disruption is to be the UK element of what organisers hope will be an international movement to protest against environmental and ecological destruction.

XR, which cites the civil rights movement and suffragettes as inspirations and is backed by senior scientists and academics, including the former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, claims to have 331 groups in 49 countries, with 222 activists arrested worldwide for acts of non-violent civil disobedience since last autumn.

The group is demanding immediate action over environmental destruction, after grim predictions that humans face an existential threat if climate change and the loss of biodiversity continues.

READ MORE: Extinction Rebellion: 113 arrested in central London amid climate change protests

It is calling on the government to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2025 and establish a citizens’ assembly to devise an emergency plan of action similar to that seen during the second world war.

Almost 100 academics declared their support for XR in an open letter which said: “When a government wilfully abrogates its responsibility to protect its citizens from harm and to secure the future for generations to come, it has failed in its most essential duty of stewardship.

“The ‘social contract’ has been broken, and it is therefore not only our right, but our moral duty to bypass the government’s inaction and flagrant dereliction of duty, and to rebel to defend life itself.”

The Scottish group, created six months ago, describe themselves as a "non-violent direct-action movement formed to take urgent action in the face of climate emergency and ecological catastrophe, as part of the global justice movement".

They demand that the Scottish Government enact "legally binding policy measures" to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2025.
It also wants a Scottish Citizens Assembly to oversee the changes as part of "creating a democracy fit for purpose and a society that cares for all".

An Extinction Rebellion Scotland spokesman said: "We are a group of ordinary people, taking action in the face of overwhelming scientific facts and resounding silence from governments worldwide in the face of it.

"We are taking direct action as every other major societal shift has been preceded by this - the civil rights movement, the suffragists.

"We believe the government is criminally negligent due to their insufficient action on climate change and continued support of the fossil fuel industry and disregard for the biodiversity of our country and planet.

"We have tried protests, letter writing, petitions, high profile stunts, begging MSPs to act accordingly - but they continue to take baby steps."

In Scotland on Monday, climate change protesters climbed the Finnieston Crane as part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness.

The campaigners were removed by police who had gathered at the bottom of the crane alongside fire crews.

Officers confirmed that four people will be subject to a report to the procurator fiscal.

The protests on Monday – dubbed Emergency Roadblocks – were expected to bring traffic to a halt in key city centre locations across the UK, as they look to force governments to take action over climate change.

Police say they will be present as the protesters plan a roadblock in Edinburgh on the main route between the Old and New Towns from about 3pm and through the rush hour.

Superintendent Bob Paris said: “We are aware of a planned demonstration within Edinburgh city centre on Tuesday 16 April. A policing operation is in place to provide a proportionate response to any protest activity.

“The police have both a duty to prevent crime and disorder, and balance the qualified rights of protestors with the rights of the wider public under the European Convention on Human Rights.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Climate change is an extremely serious global issue. Scotland has been praised internationally for our world-leading efforts in this area. We are demonstrating this global leadership by setting the most ambitious statutory climate change targets of any country in the world for 2020, 2030 and 2040, which will mean Scotland is carbon neutral by 2050.

“We want to go further and achieve net-zero emissions for all greenhouse gases as soon as possible. We are currently awaiting advice from the UK Committee on Climate Change, which is due on 2 May. If the Committee advise that we can now set even more ambitious targets, we will act on that.”