Climate activists spray Scottish Parliament red in protest against PM's oil and gas licences

Climate activists have sprayed part of the Scottish Parliament building red in a protest against the prime minister announcing plans for 100 new oil and gas licences in the North Sea.

Protesters from the This Is Rigged pressure group sprayed the entrance red and posted a video on the social media site X, formerly Twitter.

They wrote: “(The Scottish Government’s) silence on new oil and gas is deafening. They must vocally oppose all new oil and gas, or they are complicit.”

The video showed the activists covering the front of the public entrance in a red substance, including the sign above the door.

This Is Rigged said four of their activists were involved in the stunt.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We were made aware of protesters at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh shortly after 1.40pm on Tuesday August 1. Officers are in attendance.”

In April, two women were arrested after throwing red paint on to an external wall of the parliament building as First Minister’s Questions was under way inside the chamber.

The paint was quickly cleaned from the side of the building by staff using a water jet.

Authorities at Holyrood recently brought in extra security measures to try and prevent FMQs being disrupted by repeated protests from the public gallery.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.