CAMPAIGNERS at the COP26 conference are urging Nicola Sturgeon to intervene over “heavy-handed and intimidatory” policing against climate activists. 

The open letter by the Cop26 Coalition, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and the Climate Coalition has called on the First Minister to ensure that campaigners’ right to protest is upheld ahead of planned demonstrations at the summit this weekend. 

Campaigners are calling for the Scottish government to act after activists reported “numerous incidents of abuses of police powers” over the last week. 

“The disproportionately high number of officers deployed, combined with intrusive police surveillance” has created “an atmosphere of fear and intimidation” and “unacceptable chilling effect on the right to protest,” the signatories said. 

It comes as Scotland Police warned of “robust and swift action should violent disorder or damage to property occur,” today’s Global Day of Action, when tens of thousands are expected to descend on Glasgow’s streets. 

Police monitoring group Netpol, which has been keeping tabs on the policing operation in Glasgow over the last week, said it had been told by locals and activists that the policing of the city felt like an “army of occupation — not just for demonstrators, but for everyone.

“As well as the much-publicised disregard for the human rights of protesters who were kettled this week, across the city we are seeing rampant surveillance,” Netpol’s campaigns co-ordinator Kevin Blowe said. 

“Officers are repeatedly deciding to stop, search, photograph and follow people, not because of anything they are doing, but simply because they look like climate activists.”

Cop26 Coalition organiser Mary Church said officers had abused powers to “stifle the fundamental right to protest.” 

Scotland Police Assistant Constable Gary Ritchie said the force “will protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest or counter-protest at Cop26, balanced against the rights of the wider community.”