POLICE have confirmed 11 people have been arrested after climate campaigners targeted two oil sites in Scotland.
Activists from This Is Rigged protested at the Ineos refinery in Grangemouth, Fife, and the Nustar Clydebank oil terminal in West Dunbartonshire, earlier on Wednesday.
They claimed to have stopped oil leaving the sites and were seen protesting at the gates, sitting on pipes and on top of a tanker.
The campaign group posted on Twitter: “Grangemouth supplies 90% of Scotland’s oil. We have stopped oil leaving this site, as well as Nustar Terminal in Clydebank. We have no plans to stop.
“Groups of people are currently occupying pipework and a fuel silo and blockading terminal gates, while another group has immobilised a car park full of tankers at the Grangemouth facility.
“No fuel can leave the sites while they are occupied.
“The action is the first in a sustained series of actions, in which the group has vowed to shut down the Scottish oil industry.”
The group called on the Scottish Government to implement a just transition for oil and gas workers “instead of assisting billionaires like (Ineos owner) Jim Ratcliffe”.
They added: “Dinnae fash yersel (don’t worry), Jim, we’re not going anywhere.”
Police were called to both sites and Ineos said the Grangemouth terminal has been “temporarily closed to traffic” over safety concerns.
An Ineos spokesperson said: “We are aware of a number of protesters at the Grangemouth Road Terminal, and we have mobilised our incident management team.
“We are continuing to monitor the protest activity at the terminal, and we are liaising with Police Scotland, prioritising the safety of all those involved.
“Our manufacturing operations remain unaffected and, to prioritise the safety of all involved, we have temporarily closed the terminal to all traffic.
“We recognise the important part we are playing in addressing the climate challenges that lie ahead.
“Our operations, products and people are key to delivering the solutions that will drive the move towards net-zero emissions and the circular economy.
“We have already made significant progress, reducing emissions by more than 40% since acquiring the site in 2005 and we have a robust road map in place that will deliver on our commitments to be a net-zero manufacturer by 2045.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Police Scotland have made a number of arrests following protests at the Ineos site in Grangemouth today.
“Eleven people have been arrested and officers remain in attendance.”
Nustar was also contacted for comment.
