More than 80 people, including 97yo minister, arrested after coal port blockade

A 97-year-old minister is among more than 80 people arrested after a blockade of a major Australian coal port continued beyond an agreed deadline.

Groups of protesters had been taking turns paddling into Newcastle Port’s shipping lane since Saturday morning in action planned to last 30 hours.

But as 4pm passed on Sunday, marking the end of police permission for the protest, scores remained in the water expecting arrest.

Police said it would be alleged in court that protesters purposely entered the harbour channel after the deadline despite warnings and directions.

“Subsequently, more than 80 persons were arrested and are currently being processed,” they said in a statement.

Protest organiser Alexa Stuart among those arrested was her 97-year-old grandfather, Uniting Church minister Alan Stuart.

“If the government will not take action on climate change, the people will use civil disobedience,” she said on Sunday.

“We wish we did not have to do this, but the Albanese government needs to understand we are serious.”
Rev Stuart said he was doing his duty to his family and the planet.

“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.

“I am so sorry that they will have to suffer the consequences of our inaction.”

Police moved in after a protest at Newcastle Port went beyond an agreed deadline.

Protesters demanded the government stop allowing new coal projects, tax fossil fuel export profits at 75 per cent to fund community and industrial transition, and pay for climate loss and damage.

The action had the support of senior members of the Greens and the party’s former federal leader Bob Brown.

Current federal leader Adam Bandt, who kayaked out with protesters on Saturday, called those taking part heroes.

“They’re fighting to stop more floods and bushfires in this country,” Mr Bandt said.

“People here know that we’re nearing a climate tipping point, and that coal and gas are fuelling the climate crisis.”

But NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee said that while everyone had the right to protest, protest leaders had to ensure those participating did it safely and within the law.

A flotilla of kayaks and other boats took part in the Newcastle Port blockade.

He said stopping NSW coal exports would have a major impact on the NSW economy, given the industry supports 25,000 jobs.

“Coal is NSW’s most valuable export by far, and worth more than $70 billion nationally,” he said.

Coal royalties are a key revenue source for the NSW government, earning about $3.5 billion in the year to June 2022.

From July, the state’s cut of coal sales will rise by 2.6 percentage points, raising an extra $2.3 billion over the first three years.

(Duncan Murray and Kathryn Magann also contributed to this story).

AAP