After protestors climbed onto a coal train on Sunday, fifty climate change activists were charged with unlawful protesting close to Australia’s largest coal export port.
47 activists were accused of “rail corridor offences,” two of causing intentional damage, and one of assaulting a security guard in connection with “unlawful protest activity” near the Port of Newcastle, which is around 170 kilometres (105 miles) from the state capital Sydney, according to the New South Wales state police.
The protest was organised by the environmental activist group Rising Tide, who claimed responsibility and claimed responsibility for the arrests.
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“Twenty of the group scaled the train and used shovels to unload coal from the laden wagons,” it said in a statement. Police said 14 activists had climbed onto a train carriage in a railway corridor in the suburb of Sandgate.
Climate change is a divisive issue in Australia, the world’s top exporter of coal.
The centre-left Labor government does not support a ban on all new fossil fuel projects. It sees “safeguard mechanism” reform laws as key to its pledge to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 in a country that ranks as one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters per capita.
The Port of Newcastle is the largest bulk shipping port on Australia’s east coast and the nation’s largest terminal for coal exports, according to the New South Wales government.
The protest group posted an image on Twitter showing protesters in front and on top of a coal train. A banner on the train said “‘Survival Guide for Humanity’: no new coal”.
Story adapted from Reuters
