Protesters storm Scottish parliament seconds into Humza Yousaf’s first FMQs
It took just shy of a minute for Humza Yousaf’s first FMQs to be suspended after climate protesters began shouting at Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross.
The public gallery had to be cleared after the six disruptions plunged Yousaf’s inaugural session in Holyrood today into disarray.
Five of the breaks in the first 15 minutes were down to seven campaigners from the anti-fossil fuel group This Is Rigged shouting at Ross as he quizzed Yousaf.
Within seconds of rising, a demonstrator in the gallery shouted at the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party before he even had a chance to ask the new First Minister a question.
While Ross shrugged off the interruption, Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone suspended proceedings.
She told the chamber when it resumed: ‘This parliament rightly prides itself on being open and accessible, and we want to maintain that.
‘Visitors are welcomed into the gallery to watch their elected representatives at work, but far too regularly disruption is causing members to lose the opportunity to ask questions and represent their constituents’ interests.’
But this wasn’t the last time. She was forced four more times to pause FMQs as the This Is Rigged protesters constantly hurled remarks towards Ross.
He said that he was able to ‘hold his tongue’ at the interruption, kicking off the sparring match between him and the new Scottish National Party (SNP) leader.
As Yousaf was sat rearing to go, the hecklers ground the questions to a halt for a second time only to do so again for a third time all within 10 minutes.
‘I found myself in the bizarre place that I was actually hoping there might be another intervention from the gallery just to stop that long rant from Humza Yousaf,’ Ross said.
When the campaigners started shouting again, Ross said, ‘here we go’, as Johnstone suspended business again.
‘Be careful what you wish for,’ Ross added when questions returned to a chorus of shouting from the gallery again.
When the session resumed for the fourth time, it was suspended once more in less than 10 seconds, according to a live feed on the Holyrood website.
Johnstone, after the demonstrators were forced out of the chamber by security, then emptied the public gallery altogether, which included Yousaf’s family and schoolchildren.
This Is Rigged brought FMQ to a standstill to bring attention to the Rosebank oil and gas field, an oilfield northwest of Shetland.
The drilling site is expected to be approved by the UK Government in a move that Yousaf’s predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon, opposed.
The SNP are currently in a power-sharing pact with the Scottish Greens, with promises to bring in more climate change policies being a key plank of this.
In video footage uploaded by This Is Rigged, a protester shouts: ‘Will you do everything in your power to oppose all new oil and gas projects, including Rosebank?’
Five minutes after the gallery was cleared the Presiding Officer said: ‘I don’t think I can adequately express my deep regret that action was required in our national parliament.
‘I’m extremely sorry for the overwhelming majority of those who have travelled to the Parliament today to watch their elected representatives at work.’
MSPs applauded, though, when SNP MSP Stuart McMillan asked for some school pupils to be let back into the gallery.
Bringing déjà vu to the chamber, FMQs were stopped for a final time as the youngsters from the Greenock and Inverclyde representative’s constituency rejoined the session.
With the questions back on track, Ross called for a stop to the ‘shower’ or protests that have erupted in Holyrood in recent months.
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