Activists lock themselves to washing machine amid climate protests
Members of This Is Rigged are continuing demonstrations in Grangemouth
Protesters have again attempted to blockade the Grangemouth fuel refinery.
Last night, three people locked themselves onto a washing machine in the middle of the road.
The activists were attempting to stop fuel tankers leaving the depot in the latest in a series of protests at the facility, as well as a storage depot in Clydebank this week.
The protesters are with This Is Rigged, who are calling on the Scottish Government to oppose new fossil fuel projects, as well as funding a fair transition to renewables.
Police have been working all week to remove various demonstrators, and there have been a number of arrests.
Assistant Chief Constable Wendy Middleton said: “A further four people have been arrested and charged with offences under section 68 of the Public Order Act and breach of the peace at the INEOS site in Grangemouth.
“They gathered in the area in the early hours of Saturday, 22 July, 2023.
“Decisions about how to police protests require us to balance complex and often competing rights and issues. We have a legal duty to protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest.
“The guiding principles of policing protests are the safety of protestors, the public and police officers involved, preventing criminal behaviour or disorder and deescalating tensions.”
This week’s incidents come just after Climate Camp Scotland hosted a five day ‘Festival of Resistance’ over last weekend.
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