Thousands of protesters have gathered at the Port of Newcastle for Rising Tide's annual climate protest, with activists blocking two more coal ships from entering the world's largest coal port. The blockade began on Thursday and is set to continue until Tuesday.
In a daring move, three Greenpeace activists secured themselves to the anchor chain and sides of one ship, unfurling a banner that read "Phase out coal and gas" as part of their action. One of the trio managed to disembark due to changing weather conditions, but the other two were arrested after seven hours.
According to Elen O'Donnell, a doctor and Greenpeace activist who participated in Sunday's action, Australia is the world's third-largest fossil fuel exporter and its role in the climate crisis calls for serious action. "Every shipment of coal that leaves this port contributes to more devastating bushfires, floods and cyclones," she said.
Rising Tide has called on the federal government to cancel all new fossil fuel projects, tax fossil fuel export profits at 78% to fund the transition from those fuels and pay for climate damage, and end coal exports from Newcastle by 2030.
NSW police have arrested 141 people since the protest began, with 121 adults charged under various offences including the Crimes Act and the Marine Safety Act. Eighteen juveniles were dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
However, Greenpeace Australia Pacific's head of climate and energy has criticised the Albanese government for continuing to approve new gas and coal projects despite making a strong statement at the Cop30 in Brazil.
In another incident on Sunday morning, police attempted to stop a boat after it allegedly entered an exclusion zone at the port. The woman on board was arrested after allegedly colliding with a police jetski.
The protest has taken a violent turn, with a 46-year-old man sustaining lacerations to his back, arms, legs and head in what is described as a domestic violence incident. An 18-year-old man has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The protest has prevented four ship movements from being completed on Sunday, including two non-coal cargo vessels. The Port Authority of NSW said maintaining the safe operation of the port remains its highest priority.
The actions by Rising Tide come as Australia's climate crisis deepens, and experts warn that the country must take drastic action to reduce emissions and transition away from fossil fuels.
In a daring move, three Greenpeace activists secured themselves to the anchor chain and sides of one ship, unfurling a banner that read "Phase out coal and gas" as part of their action. One of the trio managed to disembark due to changing weather conditions, but the other two were arrested after seven hours.
According to Elen O'Donnell, a doctor and Greenpeace activist who participated in Sunday's action, Australia is the world's third-largest fossil fuel exporter and its role in the climate crisis calls for serious action. "Every shipment of coal that leaves this port contributes to more devastating bushfires, floods and cyclones," she said.
Rising Tide has called on the federal government to cancel all new fossil fuel projects, tax fossil fuel export profits at 78% to fund the transition from those fuels and pay for climate damage, and end coal exports from Newcastle by 2030.
NSW police have arrested 141 people since the protest began, with 121 adults charged under various offences including the Crimes Act and the Marine Safety Act. Eighteen juveniles were dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
However, Greenpeace Australia Pacific's head of climate and energy has criticised the Albanese government for continuing to approve new gas and coal projects despite making a strong statement at the Cop30 in Brazil.
In another incident on Sunday morning, police attempted to stop a boat after it allegedly entered an exclusion zone at the port. The woman on board was arrested after allegedly colliding with a police jetski.
The protest has taken a violent turn, with a 46-year-old man sustaining lacerations to his back, arms, legs and head in what is described as a domestic violence incident. An 18-year-old man has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The protest has prevented four ship movements from being completed on Sunday, including two non-coal cargo vessels. The Port Authority of NSW said maintaining the safe operation of the port remains its highest priority.
The actions by Rising Tide come as Australia's climate crisis deepens, and experts warn that the country must take drastic action to reduce emissions and transition away from fossil fuels.
. I think it's crazy that they're taking a stand like this. blockading ships is definitely a drastic measure, but if it means bringing attention to the urgency of climate change, then i'm for it 
. Australia needs to take responsibility for its role in the crisis and start making some real changes 
. can't wait to see what happens next 
they're literally fighting 4 our planet!!! i mean, australia is already doin like half of its part 2 combat climate change, but it's still not enough lol. imagine if the gov just cancelled all new coal & gas projects & taxed export profits @ 78%! that'd be a total game changer 
we need more people like rising tide 4 activism, esp when it comes 2 environmental justice 
141 arrests already? that's insane! i dont get why they cant just have a peaceful protest like every other year. it feels like the cops are just tryna stir up trouble too 
just think about this... the gov is all like "we're doing something" for climate change but really they're just supporting the coal industry 
and then you got people like Rising Tide and Greenpeace trying to actually make a difference by blocking ships and whatnot. it's like, if we want to reduce emissions, shouldn't we be focusing on the actual causes of the problem instead of just pretending to care? 
and meanwhile, the people getting arrested are mostly just young folks or activists... does that sound right to you? 
it seems like the activists are not holding back and are putting their lives on the line for the cause 
the fact that the port of Newcastle is one of the largest coal ports in the world makes it even more infuriating that the gov't isn't taking action to stop it 
. Like, blocking ships is not going to stop coal shipments or even make a difference in the grand scheme of things. It's just gonna cause more problems for the port workers and stuff. And those Greenpeace activists who got arrested? Big deal, they're just a bunch of thrill-seekers 
. What really needs to happen is some actual policy changes, like setting a firm timeline for phasing out fossil fuels or something. But nope, instead we get protests that are more about grandstanding than actually doing anything concrete.
. It's not an easy situation, but I think it's essential to talk about climate change without getting too heated 
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. We really need to take responsibility for our actions and reduce our carbon footprint ASAP 
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and on the same day as a protest about climate change... like, what message are we even trying to send?! 
? Arresting 141 people and charging them with various offenses seems like an overreaction 
. I mean, sure, the protesters are getting aggressive, but that's what happens when you're fighting for a cause that's been ignored for too long 
. We can't just keep talking about it; we need action 
just saw this on the news... it's crazy how passionate these activists are about climate change 
. Arresting 141 people and charging them with all sorts of stuff? That's just ridiculous 
. And what about the woman who got arrested after colliding with a police jetski? Was that even necessary? 
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The protests at the Port of Newcastle are a clear sign that people are fed up with inaction on climate change 
We need a strong stance against fossil fuels and a clear plan to transition to renewable energy ASAP 
Can't we all just come together to fight for our future?! 
. So I'm a bit late to the party, but I think it's awesome that people are taking action like this. Climate change is a massive issue and we need all hands on deck. I agree with Elen O'Donnell that Australia's role in fossil fuel exports is a big contributor to the problem. It's crazy that some people still don't think it's real or serious enough 
. We need to stop making excuses and start taking action ASAP 
. Anyway, glad to see some people standing up for what they believe in, even if it means getting arrested 
I mean, if they can just stop those ships from coming in, that would be awesome for the environment, right? But what about all the jobs that depend on coal exports? It's like a never-ending cycle of protests and counter-protests.
. australia needs to take drastic action to reduce emissions and transition away from fossil fuels