Eco-protesters from This Is Rigged glue themselves to the road to disrupt men’s elite cycling race in Scotland over petrol company sponsorship
- Eco-protestors glued themselves to a road as cyclists were racing across Scotland
- Climate activist group This Is Rigged claimed responsibility for the major disruption
- Cyclists were set to ride from Edinburgh to Glasgow in a grueling 168-mile long race
The group that sprayed the Scottish Parliament building red has claimed responsibility for disrupting the men’s Elite Race at the Cycling World Championships by gluing themselves to the road.
Climate activism group This Is Rigged said that four of its members had stopped the race for 50 minutes, leaving cyclists unable to carry the 168-mile long race on.
The race was ‘neutralised’ by officials after cyclists managed to make it just 49 miles through the race.
Cyclists expected to race from Edinburgh to Glasgow, cutting through Fife, Clackmannanshire, Falkirk, Stirling and East Dunbartonshire in a grueling competition that was expected to last roughly three hours.
The eco-warriors said that they were protesting the sponsorship of oil companies, adding in a Tweet:
‘The fact that [British chemical company] INEOS has been allowed to sponsor a team in the race around the Campsie Fells – which were engulfed in wildfires last month – is a disgrace and an insult to the both cycling community and the people of Scotland.’
The eco-protestors managed to disrupt the elite-level race for nearly an hour after several members glued themselves to the road
Scottish cops confirmed that five people had been removed and arrested following the disruptive stunt
The anti-oil group said it was protesting the involvement of oil companies in the prestigious race
The group added: ‘We cannot continue with business as usual while our country burns and our futures are ruined. Time is of the essence and we need to act like it.
‘[The Scottish government] must stand up to Westminster and oppose all new oil and gas, and implement a fair transition now.’
Police Scotland confirmed that its officers managed to remove and arrest five protestors, with video shared to social media revealing cops chiseling protestors’ hands from the road.
The UCI, the body that runs cycling championships across the world, said it was ‘working closely with all relevant authorities to minimise disruption to the race and also to ensure the safety of riders as our paramount concern.’
The group’s president, David Lappartient, was seen chatting with frustrated cyclists at the front of the race.
The group’s president, David Lappartient, was seen chatting with frustrated cyclists at the front of the race
Cyclists expected to be able to race along the 168-mile long without any interruptions
The cyclists were stopped less than 50 miles from the start line, severely interrupting the important race
This Is Rigged made headlines earlier this week after several members 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.
The group said at the time: ‘[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.’
Its website states that its only two demands are that the Scottish government oppose all new fossil fuel projects in the country, and that it creates a ‘clear and fully funded’ transition for oil and gas workers.
This was the second time the group painted Holyrood red, with two people, 23 and 26, being arrested for a similar act in April.
