Campaign group Just Stop Oil seemed to have cornered the market when it comes to climate crisis protest – becoming notorious (for right wingers and climate chaos denialists, anyway) with its glue-laden, paint-spraying escapades. However, it’s got some fierce competition in Scotland for the title of ‘Most Gammon Frothing-Inducing Activists’. And it comes in the form of This Is Rigged.
Scotland is rigged
This Is Rigged is an activist group that’s been active since early 2023. It focuses on the climate crisis. The group said in a press release it:
is a new Scottish non-violent direct action group – They are demanding the Scottish Government opposes all new fossil fuel projects in Scotland and creates a clear transition plan for oil workers.
Among its actions, the group has painted Holyrood red:
It also replicated an action by the Suffragettes – smashing the glass housing William Wallace’s sword:
This Is Rigged also disrupted First Minister’s Questions (FMQs) for eight weeks. It did all this because, as activist Lindsey explained:
There is no such thing as being “neutral” when it comes to new oil and gas developments. Our first minister can either do everything in his power to stick up for life and oppose all new oil and gas, or he can pander to the oil and gas industry. Right now, he, and others in government and in parliament are choosing the latter.
The group itself further said:
Despite saying in their recent Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, “that unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with our climate obligations”, the Scottish Government are not opposing the current round of over a hundred new licenses and consents for offshore projects. The First Minister has continually dodged calls to oppose Westminster’s murderous projects such as Rosebank – the biggest undeveloped oil and gas field in the North Sea – which will have catastrophic climate impacts.
Moreover, as the Canary previously reported the Scottish government has been cosying up to big oil over hydrogen power – an alleged ‘renewable’ that is actually not that green.
Now, This Is Rigged has taken things up a gear.
Grangemouth: concreting roads (but not in the usual way)
On Tuesday 25 July, it targeted the INEOS Grangemouth oil terminal – the petrochemical company that is also notorious in its lobbying for dirty fracking:
BREAKING: THIS IS RIGGED CONCRETED TO ROAD BLOCK FUEL SUPPLY
6 people are currently concreted and glued to the single access road to INEOS Grangemouth oil terminal. #ShutItDown #ThisIsRigged pic.twitter.com/RqqRsBZFUZ
— This Is Rigged (@Thisis_Rigged) July 25, 2023
No fuel can enter or exit the Grangemouth oil terminal, which supplies 70% of Scotland’s fuel, while they remain on the road.
Eventually, the initially bemused/confused cops nicked all six activists:
The 6 people have now been arrested. However, we’ve just had confirmation from a journalist that the road remains closed. This combined with our three blockades of key fuel sites last week will likely begin to cause petrol pumps around Scotland to run dry. https://t.co/FxNXZXj8CJ
— This Is Rigged (@Thisis_Rigged) July 25, 2023
Jamie from This Is Rigged said:
We can no longer stand by while we head into a climate disaster. We must put an end to the growth of oil and gas to secure a safe future for everyone and not just line the pockets of the rich.
This Is Rigged: Scotland’s Just Stop Oil?
The action came after This Is Rigged previously and repeatedly targeted Grangemouth:
Incredible efforts by @climatecampscotland this weekend, occupying #INEOS Grangemouth oil refinery calling for an end to pollution and fuel poverty #ClimateJustice https://t.co/sdHNowChip
— Platform (@PlatformLondon) July 17, 2023
Then, as Real Media reported:
In the wee hours of 19 July, members of the campaign group This is Rigged scaled an oil tanker at Scotland’s largest oil and gas refinery, and revealed flags with the group’s name abbreviated to TIR, the Gaelic for ‘dry land’.
Others sat in front of the gates of the terminal, so that within minutes the INEOS Grangemouth site was brought to a standstill.
Cops charged a staggering 20 people with supposed “public order” offences – if raising awareness of the impending climate collapse is an offence to the public order of things. Further to this, and on 21 July as Bella Caledonia reported:
three people blocked Powdrake Road in Grangemouth by locking themselves to a washing machine halting traffic in both directions.
However, the group doesn’t just limit itself to direct climate-related issues. It has previously done what it called “Robin Hood” actions – where activists took food off supermarket shelves and put it in the in-store foodbank collection bins:
So, it seems This Is Rigged is the Scottish cousin of Just Stop Oil. It’s great to see another group take such direct action over the climate crisis – but in this instance, also branch-out to acts of mutual aid. So, right-wing gammon beware: there’s another loony left group on the block; best get yourselves ready for some serious disruption.
Featured image and additional images via This Is Rigged
By Steve Topple
This post was originally published on Canary.
