Activists plant trees against property developer

• Activists from Extinction Rebellion Glasgow have planted trees in the ground where property developers had previously cut them down

On the night of Monday 13th May 27 rebels planted 52 trees. The trees were all different types, having been donated to the cause from various sources.

Some of the trees are holding signs saying “They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our treedom ”, “Harm to us = Harm to humans”, and “Tha mi beò, cum mi an seo!” among other statements.

These are to replace trees cut down by developer Queensberry Properties on 14th February 2019. The felled trees were part of the important wildlife corridor between the Botanic Gardens and Kelvingrove Park that’s used by herons, bats, foxes, and otters.

David Carruth, 26, conservationist stated “These trees have been transplanted from locations all over Glasgow and beyond from areas where they would have been cleared anyway. As they come together in this place so do the extended environmental community here in Glasgow with a clear message written in green that enough is enough.”

The group also published a statement on Extinction Rebellion Glasgow facebook page, supposedly from Queensberry Properties. The statement is copied in full below. [3]

For more than ten years local residents and activists have been opposing the development of 45 flats and four townhouses in the lane. Previous direct action by Extinction Rebellion Glasgow caused delays to the tree cutting.

Cheyenne Loana, 23, psychology student, said “Otago Lane is such a tranquil oasis in the middle of a busy city, and the community vibe is being robbed from these people by a greedy company. It broke my heart when they took down those trees, there are wood chippers in my nightmares. Planting these trees will help the healing process.”

The following was published on Extinction Rebellion Glasgow facebook:

Statement of Apology by Queensberry Properties Limited

This statement was NOT approved by Queensberry Properties Limited.

We, the board of Queensberry Properties Limited, have recently purchased a new set of consciences. As a result, we have come to terms with our actions, and we would like to issue an official apology for the immoral, destructive and utterly irresponsible actions undertaken with relation to the Otago Lane development.

Once again, we let our greed rule over our common sense. We wanted to build a hideous new set of luxury residences, from which we were planning to earn millions at the expense of local residents and the wonderful ecosystem of the Green Corridor. We destroyed dozens of grown trees to make way for a development that would only be beneficial for a handful of people equally as wealthy and greedy as us.

Now that we have come back to our senses, and in light of the arguments put forward by Extinction Rebellion Glasgow, we have decided to rewild this site in the hope that we can minimise the damage made by our reckless investing. During the next few days we will be conditioning the site to protect wildlife and ensure the Green Corridor is once again a haven for all sorts of insects, birds and mammals.

We would like to extend our apology to everyone in Glasgow who breathes. Given that each grown tree can absorb 22kg of CO2, then us cutting down so many of them was more than a bit naughty. Hopefully our newly-planted saplings will get big soon!

It would be tremendously hypocritical of us to issue this statement but continue with unethical and unsustainable investments. We hope to halt and reverse every single investment that will have a harmful impact on the environment. We’re sure Extinction Rebellion Glasgow will be there to make sure we comply with this!

For the Earth!