Coal port protestors face court under controversial NSW protest laws

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Two protesters have faced court accused of disrupting a major facility during a climate rally near the world's largest coal port. A total of 170 people, including children, were arrested and charged in Newcastle over the weekend.

Transcript

00:00It's these chaotic scenes over the weekend that landed these protestors in court.

00:08Do you have anything you want to say to the local community?

00:11No comment.

00:12Sorry, legal advice to not say anything.

00:14A total of 170 people, including children, were arrested in Newcastle

00:20after climate protestors came within metres of a bulk carrier being escorted into port.

00:26A ship is proceeding along the channel.

00:28Today, organisers were defiant.

00:31Our governments can't arrest their way out of their own failure

00:34by continuing to approve new coal and gas in a climate crisis

00:37and not taking care of hunter workers.

00:39That's why we are out on the water.

00:41138 protestors were charged with damaging or disrupting a major facility

00:46which carries a maximum penalty of $22,000 or two years in prison.

00:5232 people were charged with not complying with a direction from a police officer.

00:56All of them are now on bail.

00:58The protest laws under which many people were charged are, I believe, politically motivated.

01:04It's a real shame that they've been applied in this circumstance.

01:07But the Premier says their actions endangered lives.

01:11People that put themselves in front of a giant tanker

01:14and expected to be rescued by a police officer or another emergency service worker

01:20are putting their own lives at risk.

01:21People are allowed to protest but they're not allowed to break the law.

01:24Advocates believe the number of arrests over the weekend sets a dangerous precedent.

01:29Just because the government of the day finds a particular protest politically inconvenient or disruptive

01:36doesn't mean that the right to protest with that particular set of circumstances

01:41should be set aside, repressed or criminalised.

01:44Protestors will now head to Canberra to rally outside parliament.

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