Woman, 18, charged after allegedly scaling coal loader, glueing herself to railing in group’s third day of climate protest

A sixth protester is facing the consequences over a series of disruptive stunts that have shut down cities across Australia.

A young protester has become the sixth person charged over a series of climate disruptive demonstrations this week.

Angus Hearn, 22, has faced court after suspending himself on a 9-metre pole over railway tracks in Branxton, west of Newcastle, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The aim of the protest was to stop the supply line from the Hunter Valley into the Newcastle coal port, with Mr Hearn halting the track for five hours.

Protesters at the Newcastle coal port displayed a banner with the words “Export economy = Climate f**kery” during their protest action. Picture: Blockade Australia

Two protesters who joined him on the rail line unfurled a banner with the words, “Export economy = Climate f**kery” in an effort to explain that the global export industry, particularly fossil fuel exports, are contributing overwhelmingly toward climate change.

He was arrested about 9.35am and has been charged with obstructing a railway and entering enclosed non-agricultural lands where there is a serious safety risk.

He appeared in Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday and was granted conditional bail to appear in court again in July.

“The best way we can fight the system is by directly confronting its operations with direct actions like this,” Mr Hearn said in a statement after being granted bail.

“Physical action that disrupts the destructive functioning of the colonial project known as Australia is real, political power.”

An 18-year-old woman was also arrested overnight after allegedly scaling infrastructure at a major port and glueing herself to a railing.

Police have charged Grace Ilbery after she scaled a coal loader and glued herself to a railing at the Port of Newcastle on Tuesday night.

Grace said she was "scared" but committed. Picture: Blockade Australia

Angus has been suspended above a Newcastle rail line for 2 hours. Picture: Blockade Australia

Traffic banked up for kilometres outside of the Port of Brisbane on Tuesday. Picture: 7 NEWS

A Blockade Australia spokesperson explained in a statement that the Port of Newcastle is “one of the largest exporters of coal in the world”.

“This is an organised resistance to the Australian system‘s organised destruction,” the spokesperson said.

Taking to a livestream on Facebook, Ms Ilbery conceded she was “really scared”.

“I’m ‘gonna go press some buttons and I got some sneaky surprises with me, it’s going to be heaps of fun,” she said.

“I think my actions speak more than my words.”

NSW Police said they were responding to the “unauthorised protest at Newcastle,” before she was removed from the structure.

Truck drivers were frustrated by the second day of delays. Picture: Google Maps

The 18-year-old has been charged with entering a major facility to cause damage and entering enclosed non-agricultural lands with a serious safety risk.

After being granted bail, Ms Ilberry said her actions showed that Blockade Australia “won’t be messed around”.

“We are doing this because it’s necessary for survival and necessary to avert mass extinction,” she said.

“I act out of love for our haters, for the people rooting for us, for literally all human and nonhuman life.”

Protesters hit major ports

Climate action group Blockade Australia has caused significant traffic chaos in three Australian cities this week.

A man suspended himself from a 9m bamboo tripod on Port of Brisbane Rd from about 6.35am on Tuesday before a second man blocked the entrance to the Port of Melbourne an hour later.

Bumper to bumper traffic – mostly trucks – banked up for kilometres, as all eastbound lanes were blocked by the structure for more than an hour.

The 26-year-old suspended in Melbourne explained that ports were at the centre of protest efforts because they contributed significantly to climbing carbon emissions.

A 26-year-old man blocks an entrance to the Port of Melbourne on Tuesday. Picture: Facebook

“I’m not blocking a (commuter) roadway, this is direct route into the port,” he said on the livestream.

“This is a targeted protest against the Port of Melbourne because it is such a major part of the exploitation of this country.”

Blockade Australia, which was responsible for a number of protests across the country last year, has taken responsibility for both actions.

“This port is directly contributing to the climate and ecological collapse,” the 26-year-old said on the livestream.

“When you realise the truth, that we are in such a desperate situation, then you need to come to grips with it and do something about it.”

The man suspended over Port of Brisbane Rd was removed just before 8am, a welcome relief for truck drivers and other motorists who had been stuck in traffic for more than an hour.

Truck drivers interviewed by Nine News on Tuesday morning were frustrated by the delays.

“I just want to go pick up my jobs,” one man said.

“When you’re putting this many people’s lives at stake and their daily earnings, for sure.”

Traffic is flowing once more in Brisbane though motorists are being advised that delays are expected to continue throughout the morning.

Climate protesters shut down Port of Brisbane motorway on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Charges laid after two days of protest action

Five people have been charged after the first two days of strike action by Blockade Australia.

On Tuesday, a 26-year-old man was charged after suspending himself from a tripod at the Port of Melbourne, a 59-year-old man was charged after suspending himself above the Port of Brisbane and an 18-year-old Canberra woman was charged after gluing herself to a railing at a Newcastle coal port.

The day before, a 23-year-old woman was charged with six offences after she suspended herself over a road leading into the Port of Brisbane road and a 22-year-old woman was charged after suspending herself over a rail line in Newcastle.