COP26: Police close road as protesters march near M8
- Published
Police accompanied protesters away from the Charing Cross area of Glasgow towards a location near the conference venue
Police blocked off a bridge over the M8 motorway during a second day of climate protests in Glasgow.
About 300 Extinction Rebellion activists gathered outside investment bankers JP Morgan on Waterloo Street before moving to Scottish Power.
As some then tried to get closer to the summit venue officers closed St Vincent Street at Charing Cross.
Extinction Rebellion said it was never their intention to access the motorway.
A spokesperson said: "We had no intention of blocking the M8. We were trying to cross the bridge to get to the SEC."
The protest took place just over a mile from where world leaders have gathered for the United Nation's climate summit, COP26.
The group sat down on St Vincent Street in a peaceful protest but after negotiations about 100 were then accompanied by police towards the Clyde Arc bridge.
About 300 protesters blocked the road outside JP Morgan's offices in Glasgow
The Extinction Rebellion activists then held a protest outside Scottish Power
The road closure meant some traffic was blocked from accessing the motorway.
A spokeswoman from Scottish Power said: "We're aware of the peaceful protest in Glasgow city centre, which was paused outside our HQ while the a route for the protestors to the COP venue was identified.
"The protest was not directed at Scottish Power."
Later a group of young climate activists from around the world gathered just across the river from the summit venue and held up illuminated letters saying "end climate betrayal" .
The event was organised by the Avaaz campaign organisation which has drafted an open letter calling for climate action with more than one million signatures.
Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior has now left the River Clyde after mooring overnight at King George V docks, downriver from the summit venue.
The Erskine Bridge was closed just after 16:00, external as the Rainbow Warrior passed underneath, reopening after 10 minutes.
It is the second time in two days the bridge has been closed for "public safety" to allow the ship through.
Rainbow Warrior sailed back down the Clyde on Tuesday afternoon
The second full day of the conference saw a number of demonstrations in both Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Extinction Rebellion initially protested outside JP Morgan as they want the company to stop funding fossil fuel projects. JP Morgan declined to comment on the protest.
An earlier demo took place outside the financier's Edinburgh centre. The group unfurled banners and staff were handed leaflets as they arrived for work.
One group of activists called on world leaders gathered in Glasgow to make strong commitments that fulfil pledges laid out in the Paris Climate Accord.
A protest themed on the Netflix show "Squid Game" took place at the Clyde Arc, near the conference venue.
Another group of Ocean Rebellion protesters gathered at the gates of the Ineos petrochemical site at Grangemouth on the Firth of Forth, near Falkirk.
Many different groups from across the globe are using the opportunity to make their voices heard as the world's attention falls on Glasgow during the pandemic-delayed summit.
A group called Ocean Rebellion protested outside the Grangemouth petrochemical site
Monday, the first full day of the COP26 conference, saw dozens of demos as world leaders arrived in Glasgow.
Prominent climate activist Greta Thunberg told young protesters that politicians attending COP26 are "pretending to take our future seriously".
She said change would not come from politicians at the summit but from individuals showing leadership.
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg says politicians at COP26 are "pretending to take our future seriously"
World leaders at the UN climate summit have meanwhile agreed their first major deals - a pledge to halt and reverse deforestation by the end of the decade and an agreement by more than 100 countries to cut methane releases.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said protecting forests was key if the world is to keep warming limited to 1.5C. Brazil - where huge stretches of the Amazon rainforest have been cut down - will be among the signatories.
The Global Methane Pledge aims to limit methane emissions by 30% by 2030.
The COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow in November is seen as crucial if climate change is to be brought under control. Almost 200 countries are being asked for their plans to cut emissions, and it could lead to major changes to our everyday lives.
- Published1 November 2021
- Published1 November 2021
- Published1 November 2021
