Protesters risk arrest to block a coal ship in Newcastle

Eight protesters risked arrest and paddled out into a shipping channel at the Port of Newcastle to try and stop a coal ship from leaving.

The protesters entered the channel shortly before a coal ship was scheduled to leave about 1.30pm on Saturday.

The protest was part of 10 days of action from climate activist group Rising Tide, which saw thousands of people descend on the world’s largest coal port.

A Rising Tide Australia spokesman said on X that two people may have been arrested for blocking the world’s largest coal port.

Last year more than 100 people were arrested at the event, which organisers said was the largest civil disobedience for climate justice in Australia’s history.

City of Newcastle Lord Mayor Dr Ross Kerridge released a statement earlier this month providing support for the event to go ahead at Camp Shortland, provided event organisers told people to stay of out of the shipping channel.

The Lord Mayor said he expected event organisers to ensure any closure of the harbour was for the briefest possible time.

Dr Kerridge said the event organisers had provided him their written commitment to use their best endeavours to ensure participants would obey police directions.

“Specifically, this includes directing people to remain close to the shore and not enter the shipping channel, nor make movements that suggest they are attempting to get into the channel,” he said.

“Rising Tide also committed to me they would direct people to follow police directions, and would warn participants of the consequences of likely arrest if they do not obey police.”

Midnight Oil frontman and former Labor MP Peter Garrett performed at the protest with his bandmate guitarist Martin Rotsey.

An environmentalist, Mr Garrett told the protesters what was happening with the climate was criminal negligence.

“Is the real threat to the Hunter region a group of citizens exercising their democratic rights, or in continuing to export the materials that will burn the world up in a furnace?” he said.

Other artists from across Australia were also expected to perform including John Butler, Gurridyula and Angie McMahon.

NSW Police have been contacted for comment.