Camp will encourage pushback against climate-denying right wing
Hundreds of climate activists from across Scotland and around the UK are set to join a protest camp near Glasgow.
It comes in response to the threat of the far-right in the UK and worldwide to climate change, organisers say.
The week-long camp, taking place near Twechar, comes as Europe suffers a record heatwave, with Spain, France, England, Italy and Germany reporting their highest ever temperatures, causing 1500 to 2300 heat-related deaths across the continent.
In Scotland, record temperatures contributed to months of wildfire threats across the country.
Campaigners say that the threat of climate and environmental break down is further accelerated by the policies of the far-right, who benefit from their relationships with the fossil fuel industry across the world.
They point to the links of Reform UK to the fossil fuel industry, and promises by Nigel Farage to scrap net-zero, fast-track new oil and gas licenses, and introduce fracking in the UK.
The activists also say that Trump’s coinciding visit to Scotland is an “insult” given his track record of climate change denialism and fossil fuel obsession.
Since taking office, Trump has deregulated requirements for oil and gas drilling in the US and has rolled back climate- and renewable energy initiatives in the US, while also repeatedly demanding Scottish oil and gas reserves to be explored and “windmills” on the Scottish coast to be scrapped.
This comes in addition to his track record on human rights, as Trump recently opened a “concentration camp” for immigrants in the US, openly planned ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Gaza, and launched waves of militarised immigration raids into Latin American communities in the US.
The activists demand that the US president’s visit should be refused, and that Trump is not welcome in Scotland.
Duncan, an organiser for the Stop Rosebank campaign, said: “The need to phase out fossil fuels has never been clearer as we see extreme weather events happening all around us.
“The remaining oil and gas, which is already in decline, in the north sea basin must remain in the ground to prevent ecological collapse, and both the Labour government and the climate deniers around Nigel Farage must respect that.
“Our politicians need to prioritise what is best for the people and the planet rather than prioritising the interests of the fossil fuel industry.”
Ash, a climate activist from Edinburgh, said: “We are seeing the horrible consequences of the climate crisis before our very eyes across Europe and here in Scotland. Donald Trump, who is not only a climate change denier but enables massive environmental destruction through his “Drill Baby Drill” non-sense, is a threat to the future of every person on this planet.
“This is all on top of his ethnic cleansing plans for Gaza, his ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ concentration camp, and him building ICE into his own private army attacking migrants. Trump’s visit to Scotland is an insult to everything we hold dear.”
The week-long camp will host workshops, talks and musical performances, as well as international guests from Balochistan, indigenous Adivasi activists from India, and organisers from Ukraine.
Ruth Dunster from Extinction Rebellion Highlands and Islands added: “Climate Camp is such a lovely, peaceful atmosphere to meet with like-minded folk. I feel less alone in caring about our planet when I come here, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the wonderful people I’ve met in the Environmental movement.”
The 2025 camp follows a large protest camp held in July 2024,in Torry Aberdeen, which brought together over 200 climate activists in defence of St Fitticks Park, the local greenspace threatened by fossil fuel development.
