XR Aus solidarity with Blockade Australia
Extinction Rebellion Australia, 18 July 2024
In June this year Blockade Australia targeted critical infrastructure in nonviolent direct actions to draw attention to the fundamental cause of climate and environmental problems in this country; our political and economic system.
Extinction Rebellion Australia is in solidarity with Blockade Australia and calls for protection for the right to protest.
Operations at Newcastle's Coal port were disrupted for 14 days by Blockade Australia actions. Brave individuals suspended themselves from harnesses to block the Hunter rail line. Over 200 passenger trains were cancelled as well as coal trains during the actions.
In spite of the formation of a police strike force, disruption continued for over 100 hours. More than 30 arrests resulted from the mobilisation. An SBS News report said that 21-year-old Laura Davey had shut down a large piece of machinery known as a stacker reclaimer at the port. Laura was the first activist to face court, and was sentenced to three months in jail.
Blockade Australia says that, having no success in stopping action, the courts turned to excessive sentencing as a deterrent. BA points out that this is the way that Australia protects its interests – by imprisoning dissenters. It's another example of how the profit of extractive industries is prioritised over the liberty and safety of the people and planet.
Over the past two years Blockade Australia has made a major contribution to the spectrum of responses to the climate, environmental and social crisis facing us. As BA says – each of these has lifted the bar of meaningful resistance to Australia’s climate destruction, and each has met with escalating push back from the State.
In 2023, Blockade Australia carried out mobilisations in the Port of Brisbane, Port of Newcastle and Port of Melbourne. Jacinta jumped on top of a freight train at the Port of Melbourne, halting its import/export operations. Aiko climbed a nine metre monopole, tied across all five tracks at the biggest rail bottleneck of the Port of Melbourne. Naomi blocked the road into the Port of Brisbane while fellow activist Vickers scaled a stacker reclaimer this morning at the port of Newcastle and pressed the big red button to shut its exports down.
In 2022, around 100 NSW police pre-emptively raided a Blockade Australia climate camp. The raid was conducted with helicopters, the paramilitary Public Order and Riot, Raptor Squad and Operations Support Group, the Dog Unit, Police Rescue and plainclothes officers.
Around 40 people were detained, and eight were charged with offenses, including conspiracy to obstruct a road under the anti-protest laws newly passed by the NSW Parliament. Activists were routinely kept in cells longer than necessary and extreme bail conditions were imposed although most had no criminal records. There was widespread criticism from civil society organisations at the raid and arrests.
Despite the raid, climate protesters held a mass disruption campaign in Sydney’s CBD. On 27th June 2022, ten activists were arrested after BA blocked the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. Twelve more protesters were arrested the following day. Protesters were charged with multiple obstruction and disruption offences.
The NSW Roads and Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 now in place is intended to punish protesters who disrupt economic activity. Penalties of AUD$22,000 or two years in jail could be enforced for protesting illegally on public roads, rail lines, tunnels, bridges and industrial estates.
We must not allow state repression to stifle the struggle for climate justice! If you can, please donate to fund Blockade Australia's legal defence of climate activists.