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Climate Protest Halts Coal Shipping at Major Australian Port; 21 Arrested
Climate activists disrupted operations at Australia’s Newcastle coal port for the second time in two days, blocking shipping lanes and prompting 21 arrests. The protest targeted the country’s reliance on coal as Australia pushes toward its 2050 net-zero goal.
Operations at one of Australia’s largest coal export ports were disrupted on Sunday after climate protesters blocked shipping lanes on the country’s east coast, leading to 21 arrests. This marked the second such disruption at the Newcastle port in as many days.
Rising Tide, the climate activist group behind the action, said that hundreds of demonstrators entered the shipping lane in Newcastle Harbour on kayaks early Sunday morning.
Located about 170 km (110 miles) north of Sydney, Newcastle is the biggest bulk shipping port on Australia’s east coast—an important hub in a country where climate change remains a contentious political issue.
A spokesperson for the Port of Newcastle said regular cargo movements had been suspended due to the blockade, adding that shipments of alumina bound for Tomago, Australia’s largest aluminium smelter, were also being halted. One coal vessel was initially denied entry because of safety concerns related to protesters in the water.
Police said in a statement that 21 people were arrested on Sunday and charged with “alleged marine-related offences.”
Greenpeace Australia Pacific said three of its activists boarded a coal ship near the port as part of what it called a “peaceful protest,” preventing the vessel from moving.
“Alongside Rising Tide and thousands of everyday people, Greenpeace is taking action—big and small—throughout this weekend,” said Joe Rafalowicz, head of climate and energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
A similar protest in Newcastle on Saturday forced an incoming ship to turn back, resulting in 11 arrests. Last year, a multi-day climate action at the same port led to 170 arrests.
Coal—along with iron ore—remains one of Australia’s top commodity exports. The government has pledged to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
