Hundreds of campaigners have been protesting about a controversial £107million Aberdeen city centre development.
And politicians are calling for a 7,000 signature petition against the Muse development in Marischal Square to be considered by Aberdeen City Council.
SNP MSP for Aberdeen Central, Kevin Stewart, who took part in today’s Reject Marischal Square Protest, said: “Aberdonians are perplexed that this development has been allowed to proceed.
“I have yet to find anyone, apart from the administration councillors who voted for it, who are in favour of this eyesore development.
“People are aghast that the architectural jewels that are Marischal College and Provost Skene’s House are to once again be dominated and hidden by architectural monstrosities.
“Even the promised civic square, which was to be a sop to allow this horrendous development to go ahead, was hauled out of the equation at the last minute by the council and this duplicity has added to the people’s ire.”
He added that the council’s decision to refuse to hear the petitioners against the development at the Petitions Committee was “anti-democratic”.
Mr Stewart said: “The nonsense being talked by certain councillors about the costs of withdrawing from the contract should be exposed as the sham that they are.
“It is time for the councillors to listen to the people, apply some common sense and re-think the plans for this extremely important city centre site.”
SNP councillors John Corall, Gill Samerai, Jim Noble, and Graham Dickson, also took part in the event at which protesters raised a number of concerns about the way the council had handled the process and the designs proposed for the area.
Mr Corall said: “These proposed buildings are an abomination and will ruin the fantastic views of Marischal College.”
And Ms Samerai said the demonstration showed how unhappy the public were that their concerns over the development of the site had been ignored.
She said: “The lack of transparency around the fast tracking of the agreement with the developer is also deeply troubling and does little to inspire public confidence in the administration given the high profile of this project.”
Mr Noble said: “The huge number of people signing the petition just shows that Aberdeen does not want this development and does not want Marischal College ruined by giant boxes on the other side of the road. The whole things needs to be re-thought.”
And Mr Dickson said: “Given the wave of protest and anger by the public, the council should be voting on this one more time so that the views of the people of Aberdeen can prevail in the chamber.”