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Daily Record
Daily Record
Politics
Peter Davidson

Drama at Holyrood as First Minister's Questions crashed by climate protesters

The first session of First Minister 's Question Time in 2020 has been interrupted by two climate protesters.

Two Extinction Rebellion members halted the weekly session calling for action to tackle environmental issues in Scotland.

In the first interruption, there were shouts from the public gallery ahead of Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw responding to Nicola Sturgeon.

Carlaw resumed his seat as the protester bellowed out across the chamber.

One of the protesters at the Scottish Parliament building (Extinction Rebellion)

While MSPs from all parties turned round in their seats to see the protester in the public gallery.

Presiding officer Ken Macintosh waited until cops ejected the man before resuming questions to Nicola Sturgeon.

Later in the session, Parliament was briefly suspended as Patrick Harvie was set to ask a question.

A live feed on the Scottish Parliament website was briefly stopped after Sturgeon had replied to a question by Labour's Neil Findlay.

The second protester was again bundled away by cops.

First Minister's Questions were suspended after the protests (Scottish Parliament TV)

The first Extinction Rebellion protesters, Neil Rothnie, a retired former North Sea oil worker said: "If the Scottish Government’s North Sea oil and gas plans go ahead as planned and are replicated worldwide, when will our planet crash and burn? Will my grandchildren see that?"

While the protester, named Eben, from Edinburgh, said: "My apologies for the second interruption.

"Glasgow is hosting the Cop 26 this year, where is the leadership from the Scottish Government and when will the Scottish Government end its love affair with the fossil fuel industry?"

Both protesters were thrown off the Holyrood estate following their stunt.

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