Activists from the This is Rigged group have targeted the Scottish Parliament by painting main entrance red using a fire extinguisher, water pistols, and balloons filled with paint. 

They covered the front of the Scottish Parliament entrance in red and continued to spray red paint even as a man used a water hose to attempt to remove the paint. They were wearing printed shirts reading ‘This is Rigged’.

The group is demanding that the Scottish Government vocally oppose all new oil and gas licences, and create a fair and fully funded transition for oil workers.

They say they have tried getting the government’s attention by asking nicely, sending e-mails, marching in the streets, disrupting First Minister’s Questions, and have received no appropriate response, which is why they have taken their grievances straight to the parliament’s door. 

This action comes off the back of the UK Prime Minister’s announcement that he plans to approve 100 new oil and gas licenses, which will obliterate the UK’s climate commitments [12]. 

In April this year, following a series of disruptions at First Minister’s Questions  – in which the group attempted to bring the question directly to politicians, and instead received 6-month bans from parliament.

This is Rigged vowed to escalate tactics until their demands are met. They threatened then to shut down Scotland’s oil industry.

Hannah Taylor, a 23-year-old master’s student, who took action today said: “My name is Hannah. I’m a 23-year-old from Sheffield. I took action as a direct response to Rishi Sunak’s statement yesterday that he has approved 100 new oil licenses for next year. 

“The IPCC report states clearly that even one new oil license is a death sentence for millions and will actively make our future unliveable. 

“The silence of the Scottish government in light of this it makes them complicit. It is time for Scotland to stand up to Westminster and demand climate justice.”