EXTINCTION Rebellion activists have locked themselves to the memorial gate at the University of Glasgow - using bike chains around their necks.
Four activists from the climate action group have locked their own bodies to the gate to demand the university implement the 'UofG Green New Deal' - a climate strategy developed by students and staff at the university.
Activists claimed members of the deal’s coalition were “only offered more talk, more dither, more delay” after meeting with the university’s vice chancellor, Anton Muscatelli; the chief operating officer, David Duncan; and Centre for Sustainable Solutions director, Professor Jaime Toney, to discuss the deal on Thursday.
The activists are all students at the university and are involved in the Extinction Rebellion student society.
READ MORE: COP26 protests in full as disruption looms in towns and cities across Scotland
Pictures from the scene show they have used bike locks to chain their necks to the gate.
A sign which says 'Change is Coming' is attached to the gate, while the four activists hold up signs which say 'Decarbonise', 'Divest', 'Decolonise', 'Democratise'.
They are calling on the Mr Muscatelli to commit to implementing the UofG Green New Deal, including all sixty demands which they claim would end the university’s "ecologically destructive practices".
One person who locked themself to the gate, Vidya Nanthakumar, 21, said: “We have locked ourselves to this gate because we are so frustrated that the university refuses to take the urgent action the climate crisis demands".
Protester Eve Sharples, 21, said: “We are dismayed that the University refused to even make a single commitment to real climate action in yesterday’s meeting.
“We know what needs to be done, the Green New Deal made that very clear when it was published two years ago, yet the university still has no viable strategy to tackle its many ecologically destructive practices.
“The university must live up to its rhetoric on climate and implement the Deal now.”
Protester stated that instead of proposed change from the vice chanceloor and his colleagues they were only met with the offer of more meetings.
Vidya Nanthakumar added: “In their meeting with the Vice Chancellor yesterday, the Green New Deal Coalition were only offered more talk, more dither, more delay. We are already in a climate crisis; we cannot afford to wait.”
A spokesperson for the University of Glasgow said they believe all protesters have now safely departed.
They said: “The University of Glasgow is committed to climate action and reducing our impact on the environment.
"We were the first University in Scotland to declare a Climate Emergency and we have since published our response to that emergency, which commits us to the ambitious target of achieving net carbon neutrality by 2030.
“The Principal met with students yesterday who are concerned about the climate crisis and are encouraging the University to move further and faster.
"We continue to welcome views from across our community and we will continue to work with our various student bodies to reach our ambitious carbon reduction targets.”
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