A magistrate has applauded climate change activists who blocked Australia’s busiest shipping port for over 30 hours as ‘valuable contributors to society’.
Ninety-nine people faced Newcastle Local Court on Thursday after they were arrested and charged over a stunt at the Port of Newcastle on November 26.
Up to 3,000 Rising Tide protesters blocked Newcastle Harbour using kayaks and canoes to protest coal exports for more than 30 hours over two days.
Many defied police orders and lingered on the harbour after the authorised protest was scheduled to finish at 4 pm on Sunday, making it ‘unsafe’ for others.
Over 100 activists, aged between 15 and 97 years old, were arrested and charged with operating a vessel to interfere with others’ use of the water.
On Thursday, Magistrate Stephen Olischlager declared the activists who had pleaded guilty would not be convicted or fined for their role in the blockade.
A magistrate has applauded climate change activists who blocked Australia’s busiest shipping port for over 30 hours as ‘valuable contributors to society’
School Strike 4 Climate and Rising Tide participated in the blockade at the Port of Newcastle
A sign on one of the participating kayaks read ‘More Fossil Fuel’
‘Offences of this nature are [often] committed by persons who are of good character,’ he told the court.
‘It is a strength of those characters, which on this occasion [means] these are matters that can be dealt with by not proceeding to conviction.’
However, police prosecutor Harry Hall disagreed.
He argued the activists should be convicted because the unauthorised part of the protest had made the harbour unsafe for other vessels.
‘Entering a busy shipping lane places lives at risk,’ Mr Hall said.
Police prosecutor Harry Hall argued the activists should be convicted because the unauthorised part of the protest had made the harbour unsafe for other vessels
Uniting Church minister Alan Stuart is helped by officers out of a canoe after paddling into a shipping lane to block the Port of Newcastle last November
Ninety-nine people faced Newcastle Local Court on Thursday after they were arrested and charged over a stunt at the Port of Newcastle on November 26
Mr Olischlager said those who had attended the blockade, which delayed a large vessel from leaving the port, had ‘not been selfishly motivated’.
‘[They are] valuable contributors to society, persons who are intelligent … and making a real contribution to society,’ he said.
Two protesters faced the same court in November and were charged $600 each.
The Port of Newcastle is the largest bulk shipping port on Australia’s east coast and Australia’s largest terminal for coal exports.
It exports more than 150 million tonnes of coal each year.
A magistrate said those who had attended the blockade, which delayed a large vessel from leaving the port, had ‘not been selfishly motivated’
The Port of Newcastle is the largest bulk shipping port on Australia’s east coast and Australia’s largest terminal for coal exports
Rising Tide said in a statement it wanted to block 500,000 tonnes of coal from leaving the port during the blockade.
‘On Sunday 26th November, 109 courageous and peaceful protestors were arrested from kayaks whilst blockading the world’s largest coal port,’ it said.
‘The youngest were two 15-year-old school kids and the eldest was a 97-year-old Uniting Church Minister.
‘The arrests followed a festive 30-hour police-approved flotilla blockade that involved approximately 3,000 people on water and land and a massive show of peoplepower that stopped at least half a million tonnes of coal from being exported!
‘The arrests amplified the power of this action and made global headlines.’
Rising Tide is asking for donations to cover the cost of the fines incurred.
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