XR activists block entrance to Perth oil and gas conference in spectacular protest action

Sitting on top of a truck outside the Perth Convention Centre, XR rebels locked themselves together to protest against the damaging effects of fossil fuels produced by the companies attending APPEA's annual meeting.

XR rebels Carmen and Kelly blockaded the entrance to the APPEA conference for three hours before being removed by police. As 9 News reported, a cherry picker was required to get them off the truck.

Meanwhile outside the front entrance to the conference XR rebels covered in oil staged a powerful demonstration using flares to highlight the toxic impact of coal and gas industries and their contribution to global warming.

"This is a climate emergency. We demand a binding Citizens' Assembly on how to urgently and rapidly reduce carbon emissions."

Photo by Miles Tweedie Photography

Watch video footage of the demonstration as it unfolded.

Protest action wasn't restricted to outside the building. Extinction Rebellion activist Ewan Buckley interrupted a plenary discussion at the conference featuring resources ministers from four states or territories, including WA resources minister Bill Johnston.

Mr Buckley stood in the conference hall and addressed the speakers:

“You said ‘natural gas’, but it's fossil fuels… It's very important that we understand and recognise that the International Energy Agency has said that no new fossil fuels can be mined if we are to have a safe and habitable future. This is the International Energy Agency, not a green leftist. Imagine if we could harness all of the interest in this room to transition immediately to net zero by 2025.”

Buckley was removed from the venue by security but as he reported afterwards:

"We have to show resistance at every opportunity to things like this APPEA conference. It's not okay that fossil fuels and politicians are behind closed doors working to increase carbon emissions.”

Watch footage of Buckley's protest inside the conference

Donate for legal fees

Donations for legal fees are now being collected for:

• Arrestee fines support. Help Carmen and Kelly pay their fines!
• Truck hire, deposit, impound fees and extra charges

Any additional funds raised will go towards supporting XRWA in future actions, big and small, that are an essential part of building a movement for climate justice.

Join the rebellion

On July 23rd, Extinction Rebellion plan to gather hundreds of people to cause disruption to Woodside and demand that the proposed Scarborough Gas Development does not go ahead.

Join XRWA for updates

Header photo by Miles Tweedie Photography