More than 100 people have been arrested, including a 97-year-old religious minister, following a 30-hour climate change protest at a port in Newcastle over the weekend.
The protest began at 10am on Saturday and was organised by climate group Rising Tide.
Groups of protesters used kayaks to block the shipping channel at the Port of Newcastle, the world’s largest coal port.
The group had police permission to occupy the port until 4pm on Sunday.
Officers moved in when police say the group continued to protest beyond the allocated time. They arrested 109 people, including five children.
“Police will allege in court that a number of protesters purposely entered the harbour channel after this time despite appropriate warnings and directions by police,” a statement from NSW Police said.
Reverend Alan Stuart is assisted by police out of a boat.
“As of 5.30pm [on Sunday], all persons were removed from the harbour and normal harbour functions have recommenced.”
Of the 109 arrested, 104 were charged with operating a vessel to interfere with others’ use of waters. The five children were released by police and issued a warning under the Young Offenders Act.
Two men, aged 23 and 65, were refused bail and will appear at Newcastle Local Court on Monday.
The rest were charged and will appear at Newcastle Local Court on January 11.
On Sunday, Rising Tide organiser and spokesperson Alexa Stuart said the youngest protester on the water was 15 while the oldest was her grandfather, 97-year-old Reverend Alan Stuart.
“If the government will not take action on climate change the people will use civil disobedience. We wish we did not have to do this, but the Albanese government needs to understand we are serious,” she said.
“Until the Albanese government says no to new coal projects and agrees to tax coal export profits at 75 per cent to fund the transition, we will continue to disrupt the fossil fuel industry – because the climate crisis is impacting us all.”
Police will allege in court those charged continued to protest after 4pm despite numerous warnings. Credit: Facebook/Rising Tide
Reverend Stuart, a Uniting Church minister, was helped off a boat and taken away by police on Sunday afternoon.
“I am doing this for my grandchildren and future generations because I don’t want to leave them a world full of increasingly severe and frequent climate disasters,” he said earlier on Sunday.
“I am so sorry that they will have to suffer the consequences of our inaction. So, I think it is my duty to do what I can and to stand up for what I know is right.”
Greens leader Adam Bandt also joined the protest on Saturday.
“People are just fed up. This is the world’s biggest coal port,” he said.
“People power is on the rise. The decisions that we make now are going to echo for generations.”
Speaking on 2GB’s Ben Fordham Live, NSW Premier Chris Minns praised the actions of police.
“I’d rather it didn’t happen,” he said about the protest.
“We sold $40 billion worth of coal last year, and we need it if we’re going to transition our economy to renewable energies.”
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