Climate protests against new North Sea oil and gas extraction

Activists unfurled banners at Lerwick Harbour in Shetland

(Extinction Rebellion Scotland/PA Wire)

Activists across six countries have co-ordinated climate protests against new North Sea oil and gas extraction.

Protesters in Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands are demonstrating as part of the North Sea Fossil Free campaign, according to a statement by Extinction Rebellion (XR) Scotland.

In Aberdeen, protesters displayed banners outside the offices of oil and gas companies Equinor and Ithaca which read “North Sea Fossil Free”, “Stop Rosebank“ and “Sea Knows No Borders”.

Activists also unfurled banners at Lerwick Harbour in Shetland and, at a location on the Moray Firth inlet, XR Forres organised performances from the “oil slicks” performance troupe.

In the Netherlands, XR and Scientists Rebellion blocked main access roads to Shell’s Pernis refinery near Rotterdam.

Activists from civil disobedience movement Ende Gelande blocked access to the Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in the industrial port of Brunsbuttel, in northern Germany, demanding an immediate stop to imports of LNG.

XR Norway blocked the main entrance on land to the Rafnes Petroleum Refinery, with more activists said to be making their way into the security zone with a boat.

In Sweden, XR protesters blocked the road to the oil harbour in Gothenburg.

XR Scotland said: “These countries are interconnected through the exploitation of their shared waters, while the effects of these harmful initiatives are affecting the climate far beyond this northern corner of the world.

“The North Sea countries are branding themselves as leading countries within the green transition, all the while allowing global companies like Equinor, Shell and Total Energies to open new oil and gas fields.”

“Northern Europe’s oil and gas addiction is not only creating an ecological crisis in our own backyards, we are also fuelling and profiting from the global climate crisis with no regard for people in the most affected areas,” the group added.

XR UK thanked protesters who took action on Saturday.

A spokesperson said: “Going full steam ahead with New North Sea oil and gas is a sure fire route to the worst climate scenarios.

“For too long, the UK, Norway and other North Sea countries have avoided scrutiny for their oil drilling plans as the emissions are not included in their national inventories.

“All countries should align their drilling plans with the Paris Agreement now. We thank everyone who has taken action today in defence of a liveable planet.”