For the latest action & other news from the Camp for Climate Action, read their twitter.
Mid Sunday afternoon (22.8.10), 100s of people attempted to stroll over the bridge from the Climate Camp to the HQ of RBS. Police tried to stop them.
From the Northern Indymedia timeline:
August 22, 2010 17:29 – Climate Camp protestors have now crossed the bridge and marched on to RBS buildings.
August 22, 2010 17:17 – Greenwash guerilla activists are going across the main bridge.
August 22, 2010 17:11 – two hundred activists in greenwash guerilla outfits are marching onto the Royal Bank of Scotland Head Quarters site.
August 22, 2010 13:50 – “Bringing three vans down Gogar Station Road”
August 22, 2010 13:39 – Most of the Climate Campers have moved away, but 4 or 5 are being searched on Station Road while heading back to the main Camp area. Legal Observers are with those Campers who have been stopped.
August 22, 2010 13:36 – Forty Police are now present in the same area as the Climate Campers who are trying to enter RBS grounds. Police are now threatening to invoke Section 60 on anyone wearing a face mask.
August 22, 2010 13:32 – Climate Campers are moving back through the hedge.
August 22, 2010 13:30 – Twelve Police are stood behind the crowd.
August 22, 2010 13:27 – Pushing match has ended. Police are watching Climate Campers dance!
August 22, 2010 13:26 – Police do not have a reason for why they are not letting Climate Campers cross the bridge. No commanding officer present to give a reason. Pushing match between Campers and police has begun.
August 22, 2010 13:23 – Police and two vans have met Climate Campers on the bridge and are trying to prevent them crossing the bridge.
August 22, 2010 13:22 – Forward Intelligence Team (F.I.T.) of the Police have joined the Climate Campers. Police have made attempts to stop the group entering RBS land. We think the police have been unsuccessful in stopping the Climate Campers gain access to the land.
August 22, 2010
There are also a couple of videos available online, one of which appears to show Campers on top of the RBS building (and another video, slightly earlier).
From the Camp twitter feed:
* After a prolonged stand off with the police we are now in a mass plenary hearing from two Canadian #tarsands activists. #climatecamp 2 minutes ago via TweetDeck
* In an unrelated incident two activists were also arrested. Molasses representing dirty oil was flung at RBS HQ in caterpaults #climatecamp 3 minutes ago via TweetDeck
* during the earlier site incursion two windows were smashed by activists angry about RBS fossil fuel investments #climatecamp #tarsands
* Overheard_it Overheard police saying an officer had lost their radio in scuffles with #ClimateCamp protesters about 1 hour ago via twitterfeed Retweeted by climatecamp
* SophiaCR Balloons full of ‘oil’ just burst on the RBS building. #climatecamp about 3 hours ago via txt Retweeted by climatecamp and 4 others
* Pictures from our incursion onto RBS HQ. Currently a stand off and bridge and people up tripods too http://tweetphoto.com/40722969 about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck
* Mass incursion at RBS HQ. Hundreds threatened with arrest if they don’t cross back over the bridge #climatecamp
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Activists Force RBS Branches to Close Over Weekend
August 22, 2010
* Climate protesters use superglue and stink bombs to close branches
* Lady Gaga song performed on hijacked Fringe stage
The Royal Bank of Scotland came under attack from protesters this weekend, who are demonstrating against its investment in dangerous fossil fuels.
Activists superglued shut RBS branch doors on Friday night, and graffitied RBS logos around the city. RBS branches were forced to close on Saturday as Climate Camp protestors targeted city centre branches.
One set of protesters performed ‘Dirty Oil’, a spoof version of the Lady Gaga song ‘Pokerface’ with the words changed to highlight RBS’ investments in the Tar Sands. The St Andrew’s Square branch was closed to prevent activists performing inside. The group later hijacked an RBS-sponsored stage at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The song included the lyrics:
“It’s getting hot, the planet’s nearly shot
We’ll make ’em stop, we’re putting up a block.
Can’t deny, can’t deny that tar sands is dirty oil
Tar Sands is dirty oil.”
A different group set off stink bombs in RBS branches, forcing them to close for the day.
Ruth McTernan from the Climate Camp said:
“These investments are filling the atmosphere with the stench of carbon and hastening catastrophic climate change, so we gave RBS a sample of their own smelly emissions.”
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Police Search Street Theatre Activists Under New Power
August 21, 2010
A group of street theatre activists planning on demonstrating against RBS later today have been stopped and searched by Lothian and Borders Police under Section 60.
A team of 30-40 people gathered at the Royal Bank of Scotland HQ in Gogarburn, Edinburgh this morning. Dressed in white forensics biohazard suits and carrying “greenwash detector” probes they enacted street theatre to poke fun at RBS’ attempts to spin their image away from their status as the oil and gas bank.
The protesters were searched under a section 60 power which has been in place on Edinburgh and surrounding area since 10.30 am on Saturday morning and will remain so for 48 hours. The group were stopped and searched for offensive weapons just outside the Climate Camp at Gogarburn. Forward Intelligence Teams took photographs of the protestors. All refused to give their details and there were no arrests.
This move accompanies the installation of floodlights on the roof of RBS HQ, and the introduction of mounted police in the area surrounding the camp.
The protestors from Camp for Climate Action plan on heading into the Royal Mile at 3pm for more greenwash busting.
Charlotte Wirth, one of the protestors who was stopped and searched, said:
“Street theatre is a great way to highlight how what RBS says about its environmental record doesn’t match up with the reality. RBS is financing billions of pounds worth of coal, oil and gas both across the world and here in the UK.
“It’s ridiculous that the police are using stop and search powers across Edinburgh on street performers just because our message is political.”
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Activist super-glued to RBS front desk as 150 Climate Campers mount an incursion into RBS
August 20, 2010
At noon today, approximately 150 activists breached the security between the Climate Camp (which is on the grounds of Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters) and the buildings complex which houses the headquarters.
As the activists completed their tour of the grounds, one protestor disguised as a banker gained entry to building and super-glued her hands to the front desk. She was arrested, and an ambulance was called to facilitate removal.
The activists invited the bankers to lunch to find out more about the Climate Camp and the role of RBS in financing climate chaos at the many workshops and trainings planned for this weekend, before the day of mass action.
The activists managed to enter the revolving doors of the RBS building, where they held a dance party and held a banner declaring “we won‘t pay for their crisis”. They then moved to the front of the building, where there were speeches about RBS’ destructive investments into fossil fuels.
One of the speakers said:
“This is a call to action because RBS is financing fossil fuel projects around the world. They are knowingly displacing and endangering communities, destroying ecosystems and leading us towards climate chaos. We’re hear to join with those communities in opposing a financial system which prioritises profits for the few over all of our futures”