Campaigners from Friends of St Fittick’s Park held a protest during First Minister Humza Yousaf’s first visit to Aberdeen since becoming first minister.
Mr Yousaf was joined by Mairi McAllen MSP, the new net zero secretary, at the Port of Aberdeen South Harbour on Tuesday to see the progress of its ongoing expansion.
The project will provide greater deepwater access and quayside space to support the energy transition.
He also announced multi-million pound support to help accelerate Scotland’s just transition during the visit.
However, the campaign group gathered to highlight that it is “far from a just transition” and is instead “a corporate grab”.
They welcomed the new first minister with banners stating “Hauns Affa Torry” and “Torry is not a disposable community”, and loudly chanted ‘Whose land, our land, whose park, our park’, referring to St Fittick’s Community Park.
‘Must meet communities directly’
One campaigner called out Mr Yousaf asking why he was prioritising meeting business leaders rather than communities.
Friends of St Fittick’s Park campaigner, Scott Herrett, said: “If they are really committed to bringing about a just transition for the north-east of Scotland, then they must meet directly and listen to the voices of people in communities, like Torry, and oil and gas workers, rather than the one-sided story given by the corporate elite.
“If they did, then they would hear a real just transition includes protecting
our life-giving greenspaces and not sacrificing them for half-baked plans.
“A real ‘just’ Energy Transition Zone would include mass retrofitting of peoples’ homes in Torry, making them warm, dry and affordable to heat, thus transforming lives.”
‘Torry will pay the price’
Ms McAllan took some time to talk to the campaigners, so they were able to share their concerns about “the threat to the health and wellbeing of the community” from the South Harbour development and proposed destruction of St Fittick’s Park.
Campaigner Ishbel Shand said: “It was another demonstration of the corporate capture of energy transition, underlining the great power imbalance that exists in Scotland.
“Our thanks go to Mairi McAllan for her courtesy in coming to speak to us. We hope she will keep her word and look into the situation here in the north-east.
“If she does, she will find that what is planned is a land-grab by vested interests promoting flawed technologies that will enable them to retain their wealth and power.
“The price Torry will pay if they succeed is the exacerbation of already unacceptable health inequalities, the loss of its last accessible green space and a further erosion of trust in government.”
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