Almost 200 people have been arrested after pausing activity at the world’s biggest coal port as part of a climate protest.
Protesters formed a “blockade” in the Port of Newcastle on Sunday in the third day of unrest, calling on the federal government to rule out new coal and gas mines and for a 78% tax on coal and gas exports.
Police said 156 adults and 14 youths have been charged over the three days of the protest: 138 with disruption of a major facility, and 32 for not complying with a direction by an authorised officer relating to safety. Two were refused bail to appear at Newcastle local court on Monday. Police said there may be more arrests.
Some 34 people were retrieved from the water during arrests, ten people required assistance from police to return to shore, and one police officer suffered a fractured ankle, police said.
A police spokesperson alleged some protesters had put themselves and others at risk.
The NSW police minister, Yasmin Catley, called the protest “irresponsible theatrics”.
“[Police have] done an outstanding job managing this dangerous and volatile situation,” she said on Sunday.
“I strongly condemn the reckless behaviour of those who think it is acceptable to waste critical policing resources and endanger officers with self-serving stunts.”
The NSW government lost a supreme court bid to stop the protest from going ahead.
Rising Tide organiser Alexa Stuart said the protest had been peaceful.
“Thousands of people from across the country have joined locals here to do what the Albanese government has failed to do – protect Australians from the worst impacts of climate change,” she said.
“Despite the government’s attempts to shut down our peaceful blockade, today we have successfully blockaded the world’s largest coal port.”
Ships temporarily stopped travelling through the area as a result of the protest, the port authority said.
“In consultation with NSW police and stakeholders, a risk-based decision has been made to temporarily pause shipping,” a spokesperson said
“The protest activity has compromised the safety of the shipping channel and led to an unacceptable potential risk to public safety, the port and the environment.”
View image in fullscreen Climate protesters in kayaks at the Port of Newcastle, where 170 people were arrested according to police. Photograph: Roni Bintang/Getty Images
A large group entered a shipping channel mid-morning and interfered with the movement of vessels, police said.
NSW police asked people not to enter the harbour to obstruct other port users for their safety and that of other port users.
“The NSW Police Force will adopt a zero-tolerance approach to actions which threaten public safety and the safe passage of vessels,” they said in a statement.
The safe passage of vessels was protected by law and police warned “unlawful activity may result in fines or imprisonment”.
The Greens leader, Adam Bandt, also attended on Sunday, wearing a T-shirt with the slogan “No More Coal & Gas”.
“People here today are taking action because they know that you can’t put the fire out when you’re pouring petrol on it,” he said.
“We just can’t open any new coal and gas mines if we’re to have a chance of tackling the climate crisis.”
Former environment minister and Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett performed at an associated festival on Saturday along with musicians including John Butler and Angie McMahon.
He hit out at what he described as “overreach” from authorities for attempting to stop the peaceful protest event.
BenVarone on November 24th, 2024 at 14:00 UTC »
I think this exactly how these protests should be done. Don’t lay down in an intersection and cause a traffic jam for people just trying to go about their lives—take it to the sources. The more disrupted and unreliable the carbon supply chain becomes, the less incentive there is to keep using it over the alternatives.
VerticalYea on November 24th, 2024 at 12:32 UTC »
We need more of this. I can't believe we're still burning carbon for electricity. Shut it down and go after the folks making a profit off of it.
Frenetic_Platypus on November 24th, 2024 at 12:21 UTC »
Sounds to me like these people didn't really want to be arrested, so maybe you're the one wasting policing ressources and endangering officers by arresting them, buddy.