One of Australia’s biggest coal export ports resumed operations on Monday, the port operator said, after climate-change protesters disrupted shipping at the Port of Newcastle for a second day on Sunday, reports gCaptain.
Port of Newcastle reopens
The climate-action group “Rising Tide,” which claimed responsibility for the recent action, said that hundreds of activists entered the navigable waters of the Port of Newcastle in kayaks on Sunday morning, violating exclusion-zone regulations.
Previously, cargo — including shipments of alumina bound for Australia’s largest aluminium smelter, Tomago — had been suspended due to the protests.
Rising Tide said that more than 100 protesters were arrested on Sunday. Police did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the number, but said in an earlier statement that 21 people had been arrested during the protest and were charged with “alleged marine-related offences.”
Greenpeace Pacific said that three of its activists climbed aboard a coal ship near the port, preventing it from operating, as part of what it called a peaceful protest.
“Greenpeace, along with Rising Tide and thousands of regular people, took action in small ways this weekend,” said Joe Raftery, head of climate and energy for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, in a statement.
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Source: gCaptain
