The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, also referred to as COP26, is taking place at the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) in Glasgow Oct. 31-Nov. 12. Local authorities have implemented enhanced security measures throughout the city to facilitate the summit. Environmental activist groups intend to protest the conference to pressure attendees to agree on more significant action to address climate change. In addition to typical demonstrations and marches, Extinction Rebellion are likely to stage roadblock protests to maximize disruption and draw attention to their cause. The combination of enhanced security measures and climate activism will result in significant disruption in Glasgow for the duration of COP26.
COP26 Continues Ahead Despite Delay as a Result of COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Restrictions
The conference is an international summit at which signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) gather and attempt to agree on action to combat the negative effects of climate change. The summit is scheduled to take place every year but was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
COP26 is regarded as a particularly important summit as attendees are expected to confirm ambitious revisions of measures agreed at COP21 in Paris, 2015. This five-year review is part of the terms of the Paris Climate Agreement signed at COP21. Furthermore, several high-profile scientific reports have stated the need to take urgent and significant action to address climate change over this same period. High-level delegations from most of the 197 UNFCCC signatories are likely to attend, including over 100 world leaders. Overall, around 30,000 delegates are expected to attend the conference.
Pandemic-Related Restrictions
Enhanced Security Measures in Place for Annual UN Conference
Authorities in Scotland are implementing additional security measures throughout the city, designated Operation Urram, to protect attendees and facilitate the summit. Police Scotland claim that this will be one of the most high-profile and significant security and policing events ever held in the UK. Operation Urram will see around 10,000 officers deployed in Glasgow each day, particularly around the SEC and other key infrastructure used by attendees, such as Glasgow Airport.
Law enforcement officers have been preparing for the event for the past two years - more than 10,000 police officers scheduled to support the event, making this one of the most extensive police operations Scotland has seen.
The SEC is designated as the “Blue Zone” for the summit. The Blue Zone is where official intergovernmental panels and negotiations will occur and is considered UN territory subject to international law. Access to the Blue Zone is limited to UN-accredited persons only. During the summit, authorities are enforcing several road closures and movement restrictions around the Blue Zone. Significant routes linking the COP26 venue with transport hubs will likely be subject to sporadic security measures and increased congestion as delegates travel to and from the event, particularly the M8 Motorway between Glasgow Airport and the city center.
The Rise of Environmental Activism in the UK
Environmental activism has grown in recent years as the scientific community reports with increasing urgency the link between human activity and catastrophic climate change. One report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body, in August 2021 was particularly stark. It claims that a critical threshold regarding global temperature rises will be exceeded by 2040 unless governments take significant action. The report also states this will increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and the humanitarian disasters they can cause.
Environmental activists argue that governments do not legislate enough to curb poor environmental practices or invest sufficiently in technology and infrastructure that could mitigate climate change. As COP26 is the forum at which world governments convene to negotiate environmental legislation and investment, it is a crucial target for climate activists to pressure governments to take more significant action. To this end, several environmental activist groups are working together as the “COP26 Coalition”, organizing workshops and demonstrations in Glasgow over the same period as COP26.
The main demonstration organized by the COP26 coalition is on Nov. 6. Activists will march from Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green from 11:30; organizers estimate over 100,000 people could attend. Other confirmed demonstrations are taking place in the city center on Oct. 30, Nov. 3, and Nov. 5, and additional actions are likely most days of the conference. The impact from these types of actions will mainly be localized business and transport disruptions from large crowds and associated security measures such as road closures and movement restrictions.
Demonstrations are planned throughout the event, with the largest protest scheduled for Nov. 6, Global Day for Climate Justice; 100,000 protestors on behalf of more than 100 interest groups and organizations are expected to participate.
Extinction Rebellion Activists Plan to Disrupt COP26
Extinction Rebellion, also known as XR, are a prominent member of the COP26 coalition, but they are also likely to stage independent protests during COP26. XR are known for organizing protests designed to cause significant disruption to generate headlines and draw attention to their cause.
Typical XR protests involve short-notice blockades targeting major roads, transport infrastructure, government buildings, or the premises of private companies with poor environmental practices. To impede the ability of security forces to clear these protests, activists regularly physically attach themselves to roads, objects, or each other with glue, chains, and concrete pipes.
While XR do not announce protest sites in advance, possible targets in Glasgow include the SEC and access roads, Glasgow Airport, the M8 Motorway linking the airport and city center (the Kingston Bridge section in particular), and rail stations such as Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen Street. Insulate Britain, an offshoot of XR, have specialized in blocking motorways around London and have stated their intention to protest during COP26. While it is not confirmed that the group will conduct these protests in Glasgow due to a limited number of major routes between Scotland and England, potential targets include the M74, A68, A1, and the M8. XR activists at the June 2021 G7 summit in Cornwall attempted to block roads to stop delegates from leaving the summit; activists may attempt to repeat this tactic at COP26. Resultant disruption will be compounded by a concurrent public transport strike taking place in Scotland from Nov. 1-12.
Security services in the UK have become more proficient at dismantling roadblocks once they are established due to repeated interactions with XR protests. Additionally, police in London have successfully deployed rapid response teams as soon as they become aware of potential roadblocks to prevent activists from securing themselves to the site. Police Scotland will almost certainly use the experience of other security forces in the UK to inform their response to protests at COP26. Nonetheless, even quickly dispersed protests can cause significant transport and business disruption, and the scale of activism at COP26 is likely to be similar to or greater than that at the last XR action in London. At this protest, the number of activists meant police could not prevent all roadblocks from becoming established nor quickly disperse participants with any reliability.
Significant violence or clashes are unlikely as XR advocate for non-violent civil disobedience. However, there have been instances of scuffles between protesters and frustrated commuters, particularly at recent Insulate Britain actions in London. Police may also resort to forceful methods if resisted while dispersing protests or if activists attempt to breach any security cordons around the SEC or traveling delegations. XR activists occasionally vandalize private companies as part of protests, but this is typically limited to throwing paint or smashing glass with activists then waiting at the site to be arrested.
The primary impact from COP26 and related environmental activism is likely to be sustained public transport disruption in Glasgow. Travelers in the city should avoid all forms of civil unrest as a routine security precaution if possible, heed instructions from security services, and leave the area at the first sign of a confrontation. It is advisable to check public transport schedules and local traffic conditions before travel and consider making alternative arrangements if likely to be impacted by enhanced security measures or civil unrest.
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