For the third year running, people from around the country converged on Newcastle Harbour last weekend to protest the shipment of coal from the world’s busiest coal port.
Around eight thousand people from a large number of grassroots groups took part in the People’s Blockade “protestival” on the harbour foreshore which began on Thursday and continued through until Tuesday. Much of the activity took place on the Saturday and Sunday with hundreds boarding kayaks and paddling out into the harbour.
Politicians including Greens leader Senator Larissa Waters and religious leaders including Uniting NSW.ACT Moderator Rev Mata Havea Hiliau gave passionate speeches to those gathered ashore about the urgency of the climate crisis and the justification and need for direct non-violent action.
While the NSW Minister for Transport imposed a marine exclusion zone beyond 100 metres from the beach, many people chose to defy the order paddling into the harbour and successfully blocking the passage of three coal ships. In addition, the movements of another ten ships had been rescheduled.
A total of 156 people were arrested for defying the exclusion zone on the harbour, and will appear in Newcastle Court in January.
The People’s Blockade is the result of many months of meticulous organisation by Rising Tide. They make three key demands to the Federal Government:
- Immediately cancel all new fossil fuel projects
- Tax all fossil fuel projects at 78% (same rate as Norway) to fund community and industrial transition, and pay for climate loss and damage
- End all coal exports from Newcastle – the world’s largest coal port – by 2030
