Extinction Rebellion Scotland protests: Climate activists across country will take part in creative performance including an Edwardian tea party to highlight sea level rise ahead of G7 Summit

Climate activists in Scotland will take part in creative performances including an Edwardian tea party to highlight the rise in sea level across the world ahead of the G7 summit in Cornwall next week.

Extinction Rebellion climate activists (Photo: Extinction Rebellion Scotland).

Participating in a three-day campaign called ‘Make the Wave’ activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) Scotland will hold ‘creative performances’ on June 7 to raise awareness of the increase in flooding and sea level rise expected due to climate change.

The action begins in Scotland but will travel down the UK to Cornwall where the 47th G7 Summit is taking place in June between 11 and 13.

Performances lined up in Scotland include an Edwardian tea party in Forres, a business suit G7 summit tea party in Dundee and wild swimmers wearing costumes highlighting sea level risk in Edinburgh.

On Findhorn beach, Forres, the XR activist group will be dressing up in hand-made Edwardian period costumes to have dinner and drinks at a table on the beach.

As they dine, the group will be submerged by the rising tide to satirise what they group claims is the political class’s inaction on climate change.

The table cloth banner will read “Drowning in Promises”.

At the V&A in Dundee, a group of rebels will be having a tea party dressed in business attire to mimic the G7 summit.

They will vote down climate policies and drink “oil” out of teacups and champagne flutes.

This action hopes to highlight the failures of G7 leaders to tackle the Climate and Ecological Crisis.

They will have a banner reading “G7 Fossil Fuels = Sea Level Rise”.

On Portobello beach, XR Edinburgh will be swimming in the Firth of Forth near Portobello Leisure Centre with placards and costumes highlighting the risk rising sea levels represents to the coastal suburb.

Other creative performances include XR Inverness dropping a banner outside Invergordon Boating Club with North Sea oil rigs in the background.

They will be drawing attention to the threat of sea level rise to Inverness and many communities around the Moray and Cromarty Firths which are at risk of flooding.Elliot Blaauw, 68, a pensioner from Alness, said: “I’m doing this for my grandchildren. If we don’t act now to stop global warming from pollution, we will all suffer.

"Young people should not have to pay for our mistakes”.

In Glasgow, a group named the Blue Rebels – who symbolise rising water as a consequence of the climate crisis – will perform outside the SSE Hydro where the UN climate change conference COP 26 will take place in November.

An Extinction Rebellion spokesperson said: “Their silent presence embodies both the grief and sorrow we feel in this climate emergency, but also reminds us of the power that lies in all of us to face it together.”

On Gairloch beach, activists will be swimming in the sea to highlight the risk of sea level rise related flooding with placards saying “Act Now Swim Later, Fossil Fuel = Sea Level Rise”, “Drowning in Promises - Act Now”, and banners saying “Fossil Fuel = Extinction” and “G7 Act Now”.

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