Climate Protest Begins in Australian Coal Town
Police Presence Stepped up as Protesters Converge on Newcastle
Police in the town of Newcastle, on the central New South Wales Coast, have mustered a force of 160 officers to manage protestors at this weeks Camp for Climate Action in Newcastle, Australia. Riot Squad, water police, mounted police and police dogs will be at the ready, which organisers day preempts conflict they have been carefully planning to avoid.
Hundreds of concerned citizens, students and activist organisations are expected to participate in this weeks camp. The police and coal industry have tended to concentrate planned actions including a coal train blockade and "Day of decentralized direct action". However, organisers have been working for the past year to make a peaceful, sustainable mass action opposing Australia's coal industry and it's contribution to climate change.
The week long event will include Non-Violent Direct Action workshops, educational forums around alternative energy and low-carbon lifestyles, just transition strategising to a low carbon economy, the plight of climate refugees in the majority world, practical skills and street theatre. The organisers have also been growing organic food in a year-long project to make the event sustainable by reducing food miles.
But local coal producers are not happy and trying to manufacture a story of possible dangerous conflict to scare off protesters. Port Waratah Coal Services (PWCS) General Manager Graham Davidson (reported in the Newcastle Herald on July 9) has written to the camp organisers suggesting that if protestors enter their facilities they risk death and suggesting that coal processing operations will not cease if a safety issue arises. Earlier this week 27 Greenpeace activists were arrested after a mass lock on at Eraring power station, south of Newcastle, while on July 11 five activists were arrested in a similar action outside Brisbane.
Friends of the Earth Australia spokesperson, Emma Brindal, talked to Suite 101 reporter Kim Stewart. Brindal, who is taking part in the protest says, “From the outset climate camp organisers have indicated that the actions they will take part in will be peaceful and will ensure the safety of both coal workers and participants in the actions. It is an extreme overreaction of the police to deploy the riot squad, water police, dog squad and mounted police. The real criminals in this scenario are the coal companies and the NSW government who are enabling the coal companies to continue fuelling climate change through coal exports”
This week US President George Bush joined G8 members in Kyoto to sign on to a non-binding commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 2050. The G8 has agreed to reduce emissions by 50 by 2050. The Climate Action Network of Australia has recommended 40%, while Friends of the Earth Australia says nothing less than 50% will be required to avert serious climate change. However, FoEA are saying that that all of Australia's emissions should be domestic, not through buying carbon credits from the majority world.
