CLIMATE ACTIVISTS IN Scotland have blockaded a global shipping company in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
The campaigners, from a number of different groups, are demanding an end to gas shipping that they say is fuelling the invasion of Ukraine.
Four activists have locked themselves to four bikes and another to a gas canister outside the headquarters of Seapeak in Glasgow, while three activists are sitting on the ground and blocking the office.
Others are displaying banners reading “Stop Shipping War” and “Make Renewables Not War”. Blue and yellow smoke flares, representing the colours of the Ukrainian flag, have also been set off.
The campaigners have staged the blockade in Glasgow today in response to an open letter from Extinction Rebellion Ukraine, which says that the EU’s dependence on Russian coal, oil and gas “has created existential threats both for world peace and for the climate”.
Stuart Bretherton, 23, a support worker, said: “In many of the escalating crises we are witnessing – from war, to climate breakdown, to cost-of-living rises – the fossil fuel industry sits at the centre, so it’s clear we need a just transition to renewable energy for the sake of peace, democracy and the planet.”
Seapeak has ownership interests in 74 vessels and describes itself as “a world leader, with one of the largest fleets of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vessels”.
A Seapeak spokesman said: “Seapeak are owners/operators of a Fleet of LNG vessels trading worldwide.
“We can confirm that Seapeak, and the vessels in our fleet, are not subject to any of the sanctions imposed by the UK, USA or EU, nor are our operations directly impacted by any sanctions. We continue to monitor regulations closely.
“As employers of multi-national seafarers, we have provided full support to all impacted persons, including our Ukrainian colleagues.”
A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Officers are currently engaging with a small group who are carrying out a protest in Elliot Street, Glasgow.
“Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation that puts our values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights at the heart of everything we do.
“This means that we will protect the rights of the people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest, balanced against the rights of the wider community.”
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