Anti-fossil fuel protests in the Port of Newcastle in Australia’s New South Wales state brought operations in the port to a standstill. Due to the ongoing protests at the port, known as the world’s largest coal export point, ship traffic was temporarily suspended and a total of 141 demonstrators were detained.
The environmental protests, which began on November 27, regained momentum today as hundreds of people took to the sea in boats and canoes. Activists called for a halt to coal transportation and a reduction in dependence on fossil fuels.
The port authority announced that traffic was suspended for approximately three hours after protesters blocked the route of coal ships at sea. During this process, the coal ship named “Ragna” was forced to turn back; the Cemtex Leader, with an 85,000-ton capacity, was unable to dock at the port following the warnings issued.
Speaking on behalf of the Rising Tide group organizing the actions, Zack Schofield claimed the police intervention was disproportionate and accused the security forces of “unnecessary harshness”.
