Greenpeace renews oil rig occupation
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A FRESH team of Greenpeace activists have boarded a BP oil rig just hours after Police Scotland declared the occupation over.
Last night, the police managed to remove two activists who had spent over 70 hours blocking the rig from leaving the Cromarty Firth, north of Inverness.
But just after 4am this morning, two new climbers boarded the structure and climbed up to a gantry on one of the legs.
The occupation, which started on Sunday evening, has prevented the rig from reaching the Volrich field, where it plans to drill a well giving BP access to 30 million barrels of oil.
Greenpeace is continuing the occupation in defiance of a court injunction preventing them from accessing the rig.
Greenpeace UK’s executive director John Sauven said: "Our climbers are back on the oil rig and determined to stay for as long as possible.
"BP are heading out to drill a new well giving them access to 30 million barrels of oil - something we can’t afford in the middle of a climate emergency.
"We can’t give up and let oil giants carry on with business as usual because that means giving up on a habitable planet and our kids’ future.
"The UK government has announced a target of net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 - we have started to enforce it."
The two climbers arrested last night remain in custody and should appear in court today.
The rig, named the Paul B Loyd Jr, is owned by Transocean.
BP is understood to pay £140,000 a day for its use.
