A total of 10 people have been arrested following a protest on the Forth Road Bridge on Friday.
The crossing was shut at around 1pm after a group allegedly abseiled from the bridge carrying banners.
The environmental group Greenpeace have claimed responsibility for the protest, which it said was aimed at chemicals giant INEOS.
The group said it was looking to block a ship from reaching the petrochemical plant at Grangemouth.
Read More:
Police Scotland said in a statement: "Five men, aged between 35 and 40, and five women, aged between 25 and 42, were arrested in connection and further enquiries are ongoing.
"The bridge remains closed at this time."
Greenpeace said the climbers were voluntarily transported to Port Edgar in South Queensferry where they were arrested by officers from Police Scotland on suspicion of Culpable and Reckless Conduct.
Amy Cameron, programme director at Greenpeace UK said: “We’ve achieved what we set out to. By blocking INEOS, we’ve drawn global attention to the company’s bottomless appetite for plastic production, false solutions and profit for its billionaire boss Jim Ratcliffe.
“Their feeble suggestion that recycling and managing waste can hand them a free pass to go on producing more plastic forever is laughable. It comes from the same industry playbook as the health benefits of smoking and carbon offsetting. The plastic pollution problem is just too massive. Less than 10% of plastic is currently recycled globally, and this is set to rise to just 17% by 2060, while the amount of plastic we’re producing is set to triple. The only solution is to address the problem at source which means securing a strong Global Plastics Treaty that imposes legally-binding caps on plastic production.
“INEOS are cutting jobs at Grangemouth while trying to open a massive new plastics plant in Belgium, leaving Scottish workers high and dry. If Jim Ratcliffe really cared about skilled jobs in Scotland he’d invest his billions in supporting his workers to transition into the green industries of the future, instead of throwing money at Formula 1 racing teams and football clubs.”
A spokesman for Ineos said: “Today’s Greenpeace stunt is dangerous, disruptive and entirely counterproductive.
“It may grab headlines but it does absolutely nothing to reduce plastic pollution or deliver real-world solutions, and ultimately threatens skilled jobs in Scotland.
“Ineos produces materials that society relies on every day, from clean drinking water pipes and medical equipment to insulation, lightweight cars, and wind turbine blades – even the safety harnesses used by the protesters.
“These aren’t luxury items, they’re essential to modern life and to lowering emissions.
“In most cases, plastic is the most sustainable option available, confirmed by independent studies, which is why it has so many uses.”
Greenpeace said: "Contrary to INEOS’ claims, the protest was both safe and caused minimal disruption. The climbers are all highly-trained and spent weeks rehearsing this action to ensure it was safe. They were supported at all times by rescue climbers and support boats. The Forth Road Bridge carries low volumes of bus, bicycle and pedestrian traffic and was closed by Police Scotland - not by the protest directly."
Share