CLIMATE CAMP SCOTLAND

The Camp for Climate Action occupied a site in Edinburgh on Wednesday night. The site is directly adjacent to the headquarters of the Royal Bank of Scotland, whom the protesters plan to target. Three activists were arrested during the takeover of the site but have since been released without charge.

The site was occupied a day earlier than originally planned in order to outmanoeuvre the authorities. Its location was announced via text messages to campers. The climate camp is now well under way. Marquees, kitchens and eco-toilets have been constructed and hundreds of activists are expected to arrive over the next few days. The climate camp will involve workshops and sustainable living and will culminate on Monday (23rd) with a day of mass direct action against RBS.

RBS invests heavily in fossil fuels and underwrites loans to corporate baddies around the world who are busy trashing our environment for profit. It is estimated that they have stumped up $12.7 billion in loans and finance since 2007 to oil giants whose projects include the exploitation of tar sands in Alberta, Canada, described as “the most destructive project on earth”.

As part of the Climate Camp action, a one day protest against Scottish Coal is set to take place on Saturday. Scottish Coal have proposed to mine two million tonnes of coal around Airfield Farm near Cousland. Despite opposition to the mine that has been growing amongst the local community for the past two years, the local council look set to give the mining corporation the green light. A bike caravan will be heading up to Cousland from Climate Camp on Saturday.

Environmentally minded folk should get themselves down to Gogarburn Square in Edinburgh to join in on the action.

* See http://climatecamp.org.uk http://coalactionscotland.org.uk