Extinction Rebellion protesters hosted a ‘tea party’ outside the V&A Dundee, posing as global leaders while pretending to drink “oil” to raise awareness of climate change.
This comes ahead of the 47th G7 summit this week when global leaders including US President Joe Biden and German chancellor Angela Merkel will meet in Cornwall.
Monday’s protest is one of many in Scotland and England as part of the ‘Make The Wave’ campaign including performances related to rising sea levels.
The Extinction Rebellion “rebels” held a performance in the water outside the V&A, dressed in business attire, each posing as a global leader and holding up signs reading: “Net zero emissions target 2050.”
Each protester took it in turns to stand up, present their sign and then pour themselves a wine glass of “oil” from various bottles on the table sat in the middle of them.
They continued to spill “oil” over themselves and throw around an inflatable ball of the “Earth”, covering it with “oil” from their glasses.
Two other protesters then washed the oil off the inflatable “Earth” ball as a symbol of cleaning the Earth while holding a sign that read: “That’s too late. Act now.”
Extinction Rebellion said that the protest is to highlight the failures of world leaders to tackle the climate and ecological Crisis.
Protesters held a banner at the end of the performance reading: “G7 Fossil Fuels = Sea Level Rise.”
Parts of Dundee’s waterfront to be under water by 2050
One protester said: “We’re trying to send a warning that if they don’t take G7 seriously and actually set better targets and actually stick to them instead of just saying they’re going to do it and then not do it, it’s all going to be worse for everybody.
“Large parts of Dundee’s waterfront are actually expected to be under water by 2050 because of the flooding that’s going to occur because of global warming.
“There’s a direct link that governments and politicians aren’t doing anything about trying to regulate fossil fuels nearly harshly enough and then fossil fuels are going to cause this flooding.
“In 30 years time this whole coast where the V&A is could be flooded and we would just lose this massive part of the city.
“We’re just trying to send a message that we need to do something before it’s too late.”
Another campaigner said: “I don’t think people really grasp how serious it is when life starts to disintegrate, we’re part of it, when that goes, we are gone.
“We’re just really desperately trying to draw people’s attention to the ‘make the wave’ campaign to try and hold those leaders to account to make absolutely sure that they know that we’re watching them and they need to sort it out.”
Spectators inspired by campaign
A spectator who came to support the event said: “I was inspired by the ‘Make the Wave’ campaign and the fact the coastal communities all around the UK are taking part and we’re starting in Scotland, what a brilliant thing to do.
“I just thought it was really important to raise awareness about the environment generally and about climate change specifically and about sea level rise.”
A third protester said: “Time has run out.
“We absolutely have to act now, there’s insufficient awareness amongst people generally and an insufficient understanding of the urgency of the situation.
“This is partly just in the way of public information, just to get the word out there, if people realise it’s late but it’s not too late, we can change things.”
Other protests have also taken place in Glasgow and Invergordon throughout the day with the campaign continuing over the next two days until reaching Cornwall where the G7 Summit is taking place.
Dramatic flood maps show Dundee and Fife landmarks underwater by 2050