Forty police officers seize giant inflatable Loch Ness Monster near COP26 that was erected by campaigners urging world leaders to cut debt for poorer nations
- The ‘Loch Ness Debt Monster’ toy was seized by a group of around police officers in Glasgow this morning
- The 13ft high inflatable had been commissioned by activists to use at COP26 by the Jubilee Debt Campaign
- Campaigners from group are trying to press leaders at COP26 conference to ease debt for poorer nations
- Inflatable had being situated beside River Clyde with permission on land owned by Govan Wetlands Project
- Campaigners told MailOnline they had no plans to take the inflatable Loch Ness Debt Monster up the river
Around 40 police, including officers from Scotland Yard, swooped today to seize a giant inflatable Loch Ness Monster near COP26.
Glasgow police were joined by Metropolitan Police officers and some from Merseyside on the raid. They were backed up by coastguard personnel.
The target was the ‘Loch Ness Debt Monster’, a 13ft high and 26ft long inflatable which had been commissioned by campaigners pressing COP26 to ease debt for poorer nations.
The giant toy had being situated beside the River Clyde – with permission – on private land owned by The Govan Wetlands Project since yesterday.
It was about half a mile from the venue for the summit, and campaigners had no plans to take it up the river. But police swooped at breakfast time and ‘arrested’ the toy.
One police officer told Mail Online: ‘Step away from the monster. Anybody who obstructs will be arrested.’ But another joked: ‘We haven’t got a cell big enough for it.’
Around 40 police, including officers from Scotland Yard, swooped today to seize a giant inflatable Loch Ness Monster at COP26
Glasgow police were joined by Metropolitan Police officers and some from Merseyside on the raid. They were backed up by coastguard personnel
The inflatable had being situated beside the River Clyde with permission on private land owned by The Govan Wetlands Project since yesterday
It was about half a mile from the venue for the summit, and campaigners had no plans to take it up the river. But police swooped at breakfast time and ‘arrested’ the toy
Senior police officers told activists from the Jubilee Debt Campaign ‘Nessie’ was being seized under section 20 of the police and fire reform act
Senior police officers told activists from the Jubilee Debt Campaign ‘Nessie’ was being seized under section 20 of the police and fire reform act.
Loose Women star Kaye Adams says she was stopped and questioned by plain clothes police officer at COP26 for acting ‘surreptitiously’
Loose Women star Kaye Adams said she was stopped and questioned by a plain clothes police officer at the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow yesterday for allegedly ‘acting surreptitiously’
Loose Women star Kaye Adams said she was stopped and questioned by a plain clothes police officer at the Cop26 climate conference in Glasgow yesterday for allegedly ‘acting surreptitiously’.
The Scottish-born TV personality, 58, had been filming crowds outside the site of the UN-run global summit on her Instagram story when she was apparently approached by an undercover officer.
‘Just slightly concerned to be stopped and questioned by a plain clothes police officer who thought I was dodgy’, Ms Adams wrote on the Instagram story while she was being quizzed.
She later tweeted: ‘Just got stopped and questioned by a plain clothes police officer near #COP26 for acting ”surreptitiously”. Never been accused of that before!’
When a Twitter user asked: ‘Were you being suspiciously surreptitious?’, the Loose Women panellist replied: ‘Secretive filming apparently. I had my secretive iPhone in my secretive hand.’
Though Ms Adams has been lighthearted about the incident, the policing of Cop26 has come under scrutiny, with an average of 10,000 officers from Police Scotland and forces around Britain on duty every day for three weeks – and the UK Government picking up the bill.
JDC executive director Ms Heidi Chow said: ‘I think that was completely overreaction, and over policing for a non violent harmless stunt to raise the issue of debt to address the climate crisis.
‘This is a sad reflection of the way that debt is being sidelined in the main COP26 negotiations. They told us that waterways are all restricted because of COP26.
‘It appears to me that our Nessie was seized under section 20 of police and fire reform act in suspicion of crime and that crime was simply being placed on restricted waters.
‘We were not going to take the inflatable up the river.
‘It is a bit ridiculous that there were so many police officers here. There were even some from Norfolk.’
Another activist said: ‘All we want to do is highlight the debt that nations though.
‘They seem to have bad talk about it at COP26 so at least we have a debate outside here. They didn’t need to take Nessie though.’
One activist on Twitter said: ‘We came this morning to inflate the Loch Ness Debt Monster and raise the importance of global South debt for the climate crisis.
Instead the police impounded Nessie and tried to block our message, just like debt is being blocked from the COP26 discussions!’
Today’s police crackdown comes after activist Greta Thunberg was filmed leading protesters in a chant of ‘you can shove your climate crisis up your a***’ at COP26 in a rally earlier this week.
Outside in Festival Park on Monday, Miss Thunberg gave a passionate and foul-mouthed speech, telling demonstrators: ‘Inside Cop, there are just politicians and people in power pretending to take our future seriously… No more blah blah blah, no more whatever the f*** they are doing inside there!’
As heads of Government from around the world discussed what could be done to save the planet from ruin, the Swedish eco activist appeared to lay the blame for looming natural disasters squarely on them as she riled up her fellow activists with a chant of: ‘You can shove your climate crisis up your a***’.
A Scottish attendee had appeared to suggest singing ‘you can shove your rules up your a***’ before Miss Thunberg put her own spin on the popular melody of ‘She’ll Be Coming ‘Round The Mountain When She Comes’.
It comes as UK chancellor Rishi Sunak today unveiled wide-ranging proposals to ‘rewire’ the economy towards reducing global warming.
The package will see trillions of pounds of assets controlled by the City of London redirected away from carbon-intensive sectors like coal and oil towards initiatives such as electric car batteries.
It will also impose requirements on all UK-listed companies to set out proposals to ‘transition’ towards net zero in the coming decades, with firms assessed annually against their published plans.
Those that fail to make enough progress, or whose plans are deemed too weak, could face sanctions including fines or even removal from the stock exchange.
Critics of Mr Sunak’s plans fear they could lead to firms quitting the City of London to avoid the red tape.
The move comes after years of uncertainty for the financial centre in the wake of Brexit and the upheaval caused by Covid-19, which among other factors has seen millions of employees working from home rather than the heart of the City.
Greta Thunberg gave a passionate and foul-mouthed speech, telling demonstrators: ‘Inside Cop, there are just politicians and people in power pretending to take our future seriously… No more blah blah blah, no more whatever the f*** they are doing inside there!’
. The target was the ‘Lochness Debt Monster’ a 13ft high and 26ft long toy which had been commissioned by campaigners pressing COP26 to ease debt for poorer nations. Pictured: Chancellor Rishi Sunak gave a speech to at the climate conference today
Ministers hope the scheme will lead to a rapid shift away from investment in polluting industries and help drive progress towards the Government’s target of making the UK carbon neutral by 2050.
The Treasury said the plan would make the City ‘the world’s first net zero-aligned financial centre’.
But the compulsion is likely to prove controversial with some, and could have big consequences for firms in sectors such as oil, gas and mining – BP, Shell and mining giants Rio Tinto and Glencore are among those listed in London.
The Confederation of British Industry gave the idea a cautious welcome last night, saying that business was already ‘upping its game’. But the trade body warned it was vital ministers work with colleagues abroad to produce ‘globally consistent’ rules to prevent British-based firms being penalised.
City veteran Alasdair Haynes, chief executive of stock exchange Aquis, said it was ‘good that climate disclosures are put into companies’ reports and accounts’, but warned: ‘You have to have proportionality.
‘A lot of fast-growing companies are facing high costs to complete their reporting, especially when you look at the detail of what’s needed.’
Biden leads the exodus of world leaders from Glasgow as they jet home after just 48 hours leaving negotiation teams behind to thrash out the details
Joe Biden last night led the exodus of world leaders from Glasgow as they jetted home after just 48 hours at the Cop26 summit.
Heads of state from across the globe made their exit after an intense start to the week in the Scottish city, but left their negotiation teams behind to continue to thrash out the detail on how to save the world from the perils of climate change.
The US President was among those to depart on Tuesday evening, being pictured boarding Air Force One at Edinburgh airport.
He waved goodbye to the UK after saying he couldn’t think of any two days when more progress has been achieved in dealing with climate.
At a press conference before leaving Glasgow, Mr Biden said it was important to step up the pace when it came to tackling global warming.
‘Glasgow must be the start of a decisive decade of action so that we can keep 1.5 in the region. We have to keep accelerating our progress,’ he said.
Joe Biden last night led the exodus of world leaders from Glasgow as they jetted home after just 48 hours at the Cop26 summit
The US President was among those to depart on Tuesday evening, after saying he couldn’t think of any two days when more progress has been achieved in dealing with climate
‘For our part, the United States is going to keep raising the ambition and delivering a goal that we are reducing US emissions by 50% from the 2005 level by 2030.
‘I can’t think of any two days more has been accomplished dealing with climate than these past two days.’
Mr Biden added that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin had made a mistake in failing to appear at the Cop26 talks.
He said: ‘We showed up. By showing up, I think we had a profound impact on the way, I think, the rest of the world is looking at the United States and its leadership.
‘I think it has been a mistake, quite frankly, with respect to China, not showing up.
‘They have the lost the ability to influence people around the world and here in Cop. The same way I would argue with Russia.’
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