Anti-fossil fuel campaigners stood on tables and sat on the floor outside the Holyrood chamber as they demanded the SNP strongly oppose all future North Sea oil and gas projects.
Demonstrators from activist group This is Rigged claimed Humza Yousaf’s government is falling in the fight against climate change and insisted workers need more support in the shift toward renewables.
At the same time, the new first minister faced demands from Aberdeen-based Greens MSP Maggie Chapman to help stop the Rosebank oil field near Shetland from being explored.
While the protest happened outside, Highland SNP rebel Fergus Ewing was inside the debating chamber branding the SNP’s Green coalition partners “wine bar revolutionaries”.
Mr Ewing, jabbing a finger towards his government colleagues, warned ditching all oil and gas projects in the north-east would be “economic masochism” since tens of thousands of workers still rely on the sector.
The Inverness and Nairn MSP’s tirade against the Greens saw him given a ticking off from Holyrood’s deputy presiding officer – his sister Annabelle Ewing.
It showed Mr Yousaf faces a tough job balancing competing demands from environmentalists and party backbenchers who differ on the future of the energy industry.
Under Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP committed to shifting toward renewables as quickly as possible at the expense of fossil fuels due to the climate emergency.
Holyrood was brought to a standstill three weeks ago during Mr Yousaf’s inaugural First Minister’s Questions due to oil and gas hecklers.
Only one activist managed to interrupt the SNP leader today, but protesters outside the chamber insisted there remains more his government must do.
They said his party’s blueprint for shifting away from fossil fuels – known as the just transition – is not ambitious enough given the scale of the crisis.
THIS IS F*CKING RIGGED
Several people have been denied entry from Holyrood’s public gallery, despite not previously having received a ban. #thisisrigged #fmqs #nonewoil pic.twitter.com/6rYaS43ceV— This Is Rigged (@Thisis_Rigged) April 20, 2023
Speaking while sat on the floor, protester Emma Brown told us: “All we want is for the Scottish Government to vocally oppose new oil and gas projects that are in the pipeline.
“At the moment they’re not providing a fully funded transition for Scotland’s oil workers. They talk about it and talk about it, but there’s no concrete proposals. We need action now.”
She added: “We were here at COP26, and we heard what they had to say, but they need to follow through with action. At this stage words are not going to cut it.”
Earlier this month protesters from This is Rigged warned they planned for “maximum disruption” by targeting offshore industry infrastructure.
Organiser Eilidh McFadden also vowed the group would continue protesting at Holyrood each week to make their voice heard.
Responding to questions, Mr Yousaf said his government was committed to ensuring oil and gas workers can find job opportunities in the renewables sector.
He said to Ms Chapman: “Unlimited extraction of fossil fuel is not consistent with our climate obligations. That’s why we need a new plan for Scotland’s energy system.”
