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Protesters remind Labour that Rosebank is a sinking ship in Titanic-themed action

On Wednesday 18 March, campaigners from Fossil Free London staged a Titanic-themed demonstration in Westminster over the Labour Party government’s potential re-approval of the climate-wrecking Rosebank oil field.

Rosebank: it’s time to let go

Campaigners recreated the infamous scene in which lead character Jack Dawson drowns as Rose clings to a door in the sea:

Campaigner lays on a blue sheet on the pavement reaching out her hand to a 3D model of an oil rig surrounded by roses.

They chanted “There’s an iceberg we don’t want to hit! Rosebank is a sinking ship” with a banner reading “Let Go of Rosebank”:

Protesters in red rose crowns hold a banner that reads "Let go of Rosebank".

This was to draw a creative parallel with the approaching climate emergency and the government’s potential reapproval of the project’s development:

In red dresses and with rose crowns, they held placards with common sense arguments against Rosebank, drawing attention to the fact it won’t lower our bills, and that much of the development costs would be paid by the UK public, as well as its climate impacts:

Protester lays on the pavement re-enacting the Titanic scene on the piece of ship she's using as a raft. She holds a 3D smallscale model of an oil rig surrounded by roses.

‘New oil is a sinking ship’

Scotland’s Court of Session ruled the previous government’s approval of the project unlawful in January. However, despite the fact it’s currently unlawful for the fossil fuel companies to drill for any oil and gas, they continue to build Rosebank.

If developed, the Rosebank oil and gas field would release equivalent emissions equal to those produced by the world’s 28 lowest-income countries:

Protester lays on the pavement re-enacting the Titanic scene where Rose lets go of Jack's hand. She reaches out to a 3D smallscale model of an oil rig surrounded by roses. Campaigner in the foreground holds a placard that reads: "Rosebank = Climate disaster #STOPROSEBANK" Other protesters hold placards in the distance. Closest reads: "Rosebank will cost us money."

Equinor is majority-owned (68%) by the Norwegian government, which has a sovereign wealth fund worth in the region of $1.3 trillion. The UK public will cover the vast majority (up to 90%) of the costs of developing Rosebank, with profits flowing to the Norwegian oil company.

Rosebank’s main offshore vessel will be built in Dubai, a move which has angered UK trade unions; reducing the amount of jobs the field would have created in Scotland.

The UK government will now decide to re-approve or reject the field after their oil and gas consultation concludes in spring 2025.

Director of Fossil Free London Robin Wells said:

If Labour clings on to Rosebank, they’re clinging to the unstable, dangerous future of oil and gas. If this government wants to protect us all, they must let go of this disaster project. Rosebank means expensive energy bills and climate disaster. New oil is a sinking ship.

Featured image and additional images supplied

By The Canary

This post was originally published on Canary.