Climate change protestors block world’s largest coal export port in Australia

ISTANBUL

Climate change protestors on Sunday blocked the world’s largest coal export port in Australia, prompting police to arrest 141 people for creating a disturbance, local broadcaster ABC reported.

One of Australia's largest shipping ports, the Port of Newcastle, halted all operations for three hours following a climate change protest on the water.

The Port Authority of New South Wales made the decision after hundreds of protesters in kayaks and watercraft, part of Rising Tide’s annual protest, blocked coal ships.

In a statement, the Port Authority said: "A dynamic risk-based decision was made to abort the movement of an inbound ship movement … due to alleged protester activity posing a risk to safety," adding that the suspension also affected two other vessels.

The Port of Newcastle confirmed that the Ragna coal ship was turned back on Sunday afternoon.

On Saturday, the Cemtex Leader bulk carrier was also redirected after police warned of swimmers in the shipping channel but was able to enter on Sunday morning.

Another vessel carrying alumina for the Tomago smelter could not dock on Sunday and was rescheduled for Monday.

New South Wales police arrested 141 people attempting to block the shipping channel during the Rising Tide protests, which began on Thursday.

Among the arrested were two Greenpeace activists who suspended themselves from a bulk carrier on Sunday and displayed a banner reading “Phase out coal & gas.”

The police said they take a "zero-tolerance approach to actions which threaten public safety and the safe passage of vessels." The operation continues, with a marine exclusion zone in place until Monday.

Rising Tide organizer Zack Schofield criticized the police response, while the group claimed success after forcing two bulk carriers to turn around.

Greenpeace campaigner Joe Rafalowicz said the activists were urging the government to halt new fossil fuel projects.

Former Fire and Rescue New South Wales commissioner and founder of Emergency Leaders for Climate Action, Greg Mullins, also joined the protest.

"What lifts me is seeing everyday Australians saying no, we're not going to sit back and let the filthy polluting fossil fuels ruin our planet," he said.

Rising Tide's "people's blockade" of the world’s largest coal port has been ongoing in Newcastle since Thursday.

New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley condemned the protest, warning anyone breaching marine exclusion zones would be arrested.