Latest news with #ForthRoadBridge
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Greenpeace activists arrested after abseiling from bridge
Ten protestors have been arrested after spending almost 24 hours suspended from a bridge. The Forth Road Bridge outside Edinburgh was closed on Friday after the Greenpeace activists suspended themselves from the structure to block a tanker carrying fracked gas, which was heading for the Ineos petrochemical plant at nearby Grangemouth. Police Scotland said it had been alerted to the protest shortly after 1pm on Friday. The group suspended themselves from the bridge using ropes, ending up about 25 metres above the water level at high tide. On Saturday morning Greenpeace announced it had ended the demonstration, saying it had 'achieved what we set out to'. The campaign group said its demonstration had prevented the tanker from delivering the gas for a full 24 hours, as the vessel could only travel to Grangemouth during high tides. Greenpeace said all 10 had descended safely and were voluntarily transported to Port Edgar in South Queensferry, where it said they were arrested by officers from Police Scotland on suspicion of culpable and reckless conduct. Police Scotland confirmed that five men, aged between 35 and 40, and five women, aged between 25 and 42, had been arrested. The force added that further inquiries were ongoing, and that the Forth Road Bridge remained closed to traffic as of Saturday morning. After the demonstration ended, Amy Cameron, programme director at Greenpeace UK said: 'We've achieved what we set out to. 'By blocking Ineos, we've drawn global attention to the company's bottomless appetite for plastic production, false solutions and profit for its billionaire boss Jim Ratcliffe.' Plastic production set to triple Describing the 'plastic pollution problem' as being 'massive', she added: 'Less than 10 per cent of plastic is currently recycled globally, and this is set to rise to just 17 per cent by 2060, while the amount of plastic we're producing is set to triple. 'The only solution is to address the problem at source which means securing a strong global plastics treaty that imposes legally-binding caps on plastic production.' Ms Cameron continued: 'Ineos are cutting jobs at Grangemouth while trying to open a massive new plastics plant in Belgium, leaving Scottish workers high and dry. 'If Jim Ratcliffe really cared about skilled jobs in Scotland he'd invest his billions in supporting his workers to transition into the green industries of the future, instead of throwing money at Formula 1 racing teams and football clubs.' Greenpeace insists its protest was safe and caused 'minimal disruption' – stressing that the climbers had spent weeks training for the demonstration, also pointing out that the Forth Road Bridge carries low volumes of bus, cycle and pedestrian traffic. An Ineos spokesman said the stunt was 'dangerous, disruptive and entirely counterproductive'. It added: 'Ineos is one of the few companies investing in solutions: advanced recycling, circular design, and low-carbon feedstocks. We are building real infrastructure, not hanging banners off bridges. 'If Greenpeace truly cared about outcomes, they'd stop targeting the companies delivering change and start supporting serious policy reform on waste collection and global recycling standards.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
Ten activists arrested after Greenpeace demo on Forth Road Bridge ends
Ten protestors have been arrested at the end of a demonstration which saw them suspend themselves from a bridge in a bid to halt a tanker carrying fracked gas. The Forth Road Bridge outside of Edinburgh was closed on Friday after the Greenpeace activists suspended themselves from the structure in order to block the tanker, which was headed for the Ineos petrochemical plant at nearby Grangemouth. Police Scotland said it had been alerted to the protest shortly after 1pm on Friday. That was after the group suspended themselves from the bridge using ropes, ending up about 25 metres above the water level at high tide. On Saturday morning Greenpeace announced it had ended the demonstration, saying they had 'achieved what we set out to'. The campaign group said its demonstration had prevented the Ineos tanker from delivering the gas for a full 24 hours, as the vessel could only travel to Grangemouth during high tides. As a result the specially trained activists began climbing down their ropes early on Saturday morning. Greenpeace said all 10 had descended safely and were voluntarily transported to Port Edgar in South Queensferry, where it said they were arrested by officers from Police Scotland on suspicion of culpable and reckless conduct. Police Scotland confirmed that five men aged between 35 and 40, and five women, aged between 25 and 42, had been arrested. The force added that further inquiries were ongoing, and that the Forth Road Bridge remained closed to traffic as of Saturday morning. After the demonstration ended Amy Cameron, programme director at Greenpeace UK said: 'We've achieved what we set out to. 'By blocking Ineos, we've drawn global attention to the company's bottomless appetite for plastic production, false solutions and profit for its billionaire boss Jim Ratcliffe.' Describing the 'plastic pollution problem' as being 'massive', she added: 'Less than 10% of plastic is currently recycled globally, and this is set to rise to just 17% by 2060, while the amount of plastic we're producing is set to triple. 'The only solution is to address the problem at source which means securing a strong global plastics treaty that imposes legally-binding caps on plastic production.' Ms Cameron continued: 'Ineos are cutting jobs at Grangemouth while trying to open a massive new plastics plant in Belgium, leaving Scottish workers high and dry. 'If Jim Ratcliffe really cared about skilled jobs in Scotland he'd invest his billions in supporting his workers to transition into the green industries of the future, instead of throwing money at Formula 1 racing teams and football clubs.' Greenpeace insists its protest was safe and caused 'minimal disruption' – stressing that the climbers had spent weeks training for the demonstration, also pointing out that the Forth Road Bridge carries low volumes of bus, cycle and pedestrian traffic.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ten arrested after protest which saw Forth Road Bridge shut
A total of 10 people have been arrested following a protest on the Forth Road Bridge on Friday. The crossing was shut at around 1pm after a group allegedly abseiled from the bridge carrying banners. The environmental group Greenpeace have claimed responsibility for the protest, which it said was aimed at chemicals giant INEOS. The group said it was looking to block a ship from reaching the petrochemical plant at Grangemouth. Read More: Forth Road Bridge shut by protestors with police on scene Man charged over death of woman in Irvine, North Ayrshire in 1994 Man arrested after Edinburgh shooting released pending further inquiries Police Scotland said in a statement: "Five men, aged between 35 and 40, and five women, aged between 25 and 42, were arrested in connection and further enquiries are ongoing. "The bridge remains closed at this time." Greenpeace said the climbers were voluntarily transported to Port Edgar in South Queensferry where they were arrested by officers from Police Scotland on suspicion of Culpable and Reckless Conduct. Amy Cameron, programme director at Greenpeace UK said: 'We've achieved what we set out to. By blocking INEOS, we've drawn global attention to the company's bottomless appetite for plastic production, false solutions and profit for its billionaire boss Jim Ratcliffe. 'Their feeble suggestion that recycling and managing waste can hand them a free pass to go on producing more plastic forever is laughable. It comes from the same industry playbook as the health benefits of smoking and carbon offsetting. The plastic pollution problem is just too massive. Less than 10% of plastic is currently recycled globally, and this is set to rise to just 17% by 2060, while the amount of plastic we're producing is set to triple. The only solution is to address the problem at source which means securing a strong Global Plastics Treaty that imposes legally-binding caps on plastic production. 'INEOS are cutting jobs at Grangemouth while trying to open a massive new plastics plant in Belgium, leaving Scottish workers high and dry. If Jim Ratcliffe really cared about skilled jobs in Scotland he'd invest his billions in supporting his workers to transition into the green industries of the future, instead of throwing money at Formula 1 racing teams and football clubs.' A spokesman for Ineos said: 'Today's Greenpeace stunt is dangerous, disruptive and entirely counterproductive. 'It may grab headlines but it does absolutely nothing to reduce plastic pollution or deliver real-world solutions, and ultimately threatens skilled jobs in Scotland. 'Ineos produces materials that society relies on every day, from clean drinking water pipes and medical equipment to insulation, lightweight cars, and wind turbine blades – even the safety harnesses used by the protesters. 'These aren't luxury items, they're essential to modern life and to lowering emissions. 'In most cases, plastic is the most sustainable option available, confirmed by independent studies, which is why it has so many uses.' Greenpeace said: "Contrary to INEOS' claims, the protest was both safe and caused minimal disruption. The climbers are all highly-trained and spent weeks rehearsing this action to ensure it was safe. They were supported at all times by rescue climbers and support boats. The Forth Road Bridge carries low volumes of bus, bicycle and pedestrian traffic and was closed by Police Scotland - not by the protest directly."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ten activists arrested after Greenpeace demo on Forth Road Bridge ends
Ten protestors have been arrested at the end of a demonstration which saw them suspend themselves from a bridge in a bid to halt a tanker carrying fracked gas. The Forth Road Bridge outside of Edinburgh was closed on Friday after the Greenpeace activists suspended themselves from the structure in order to block the tanker, which was headed for the Ineos petrochemical plant at nearby Grangemouth. Police Scotland said it had been alerted to the protest shortly after 1pm on Friday. That was after the group suspended themselves from the bridge using ropes, ending up about 25 metres above the water level at high tide. On Saturday morning Greenpeace announced it had ended the demonstration, saying they had 'achieved what we set out to'. The campaign group said its demonstration had prevented the Ineos tanker from delivering the gas for a full 24 hours, as the vessel could only travel to Grangemouth during high tides. As a result the specially trained activists began climbing down their ropes early on Saturday morning. Greenpeace said all 10 had descended safely and were voluntarily transported to Port Edgar in South Queensferry, where it said they were arrested by officers from Police Scotland on suspicion of culpable and reckless conduct. Police Scotland confirmed that five men aged between 35 and 40, and five women, aged between 25 and 42, had been arrested. The force added that further inquiries were ongoing, and that the Forth Road Bridge remained closed to traffic as of Saturday morning. After the demonstration ended Amy Cameron, programme director at Greenpeace UK said: 'We've achieved what we set out to. 'By blocking Ineos, we've drawn global attention to the company's bottomless appetite for plastic production, false solutions and profit for its billionaire boss Jim Ratcliffe.' Describing the 'plastic pollution problem' as being 'massive', she added: 'Less than 10% of plastic is currently recycled globally, and this is set to rise to just 17% by 2060, while the amount of plastic we're producing is set to triple. 'The only solution is to address the problem at source which means securing a strong global plastics treaty that imposes legally-binding caps on plastic production.' Ms Cameron continued: 'Ineos are cutting jobs at Grangemouth while trying to open a massive new plastics plant in Belgium, leaving Scottish workers high and dry. 'If Jim Ratcliffe really cared about skilled jobs in Scotland he'd invest his billions in supporting his workers to transition into the green industries of the future, instead of throwing money at Formula 1 racing teams and football clubs.' Greenpeace insists its protest was safe and caused 'minimal disruption' – stressing that the climbers had spent weeks training for the demonstration, also pointing out that the Forth Road Bridge carries low volumes of bus, cycle and pedestrian traffic.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Ten arrests after Greenpeace protest closes Forth Road Bridge
Ten people have been arrested after environmental protesters abseiled off the Forth Road Bridge in a demonstration against a tanker carrying fracked protest against the Ineos ship Independence - which was making its way to Grangemouth - was reported to police at about 13:00 on men, aged between 35 and 40, and five women, aged between 25 and 42, were later arrested in connection with the bridge remains closed. Images from the scene had shown protesters on wires holding red banners displaying a number of slogans decrying Ineos' influence in the plastics accused the firm, and its owner, Jim Ratcliffe, of attempting to sabotage a global plastics treaty due to be voted on by UN member states in Switzerland next described the action by Greenpeace as "dangerous, disruptive, and entirely counterproductive," adding it "threatened skilled jobs in Scotland".
