Climate Protest By Rising Tide Has Been Blocked by NSW Supreme Court

New South Wales Police have blocked a climate protest planned for Newcastle later this month – but Rising Tide says their blockade will go ahead regardless.

Rising Tide, a group dedicated to nonviolent climate action, were organising a 30 hour blockade of the port of Newcastle, with activists paddling out in kayaks and rafts, to stop coal exports.

The blockade of what they called the “world’s largest coal port”, was to be held in conjunction with a “Protestival” on the beach, with Peter Garrett, Angie McMahon, and John Butler some of the 30 acts scheduled to play.

Last week, NSW police applied to the NSW Supreme Court to challenge Rising Tide’s Form 1 application to hold a peaceful protest. Premier Chris Minns supported the application, telling the Newcastle Herald “if you block that port and put obstacles in the way of industry, it prevents and hurts our ability to transition the economy.”

Rising Tide successfully organised a similar protest in 2023, however the group decided to continue the blockade beyond the 30 hours agreed upon, drawing international media attention.

The judgement was handed down earlier this morning, with Justice Desmond Fagan citing evidence that the group was “highly likely, to the point of near certainty” to extend the blockade beyond the approved length of time.

“Our democratic rights and freedoms are only as strong as our ability to exercise them freely, without unnecessary intervention by the police, and without the fear of criminal sanctions,” said Vice President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, Lydia Shelly in a media statement. “What does it actually mean to be a free and democratic country? The answer must include people having the right to protest. This is reflected in Australia’s commitment to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – even if it is politically unpopular or inconvenient for the government of the day.”

If the group decides to continue with the blockade, they risk police prosecution. Police assistant commissioner Dave Weddell assured the court that police would arrest protesters as soon as they entered the water.

Rising Tide responds: ‘People’s Blockade will go ahead!’

On a video posted to their Instagram, a member of Rising Tide said they were not letting the judgement affect their protest, promising to “be here in our thousands in a few weeks time.”

 

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A post shared by Rising Tide (@risingtide.aus)

The group reiterated their call to the NSW Government to repeal anti-protest laws, abolish the need for Form 1s, and to introduce a Human Rights Act that enshrines the right to protest.