Blockade Australia is a

direct action Direct action is a term for economic and political behavior in which participants use agency—for example economic or physical power—to achieve their goals. The aim of direct action is to either obstruct a certain practice (such as a governm ...

group in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

who

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...

rail and roads in ports to "force the urgent broad-scale change necessary for survival". They describe themselves as "committed to taking the action necessary to disrupt economic bottlenecks of Australia and stop the exploitative colonial project". Direct action is also used to inform the public 'that the climate crisis is a threat to life on earth, that the systems that are in power on this continent and around the world are causing the crisis and have no capacity, let alone will, to change.

Actions

Port of Newcastle

In November 2021, Blockade Australia members carried out two weeks of

nonviolent Nonviolence is the personal practice of not causing harm to others under any condition. It may come from the belief that hurting people, animals and/or the environment is unnecessary to achieve an outcome and it may refer to a general philosoph ...

direct action using their bodies, rope and glue to shut down activity at Port of Newcastle,

Hunter Region The Hunter Region, also commonly known as the Hunter Valley, Newcastle Region, or simply Hunter, spans the region in northern New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney. It contains the Hunter River (New Sout ...

, the largest coal port in the world. As a result of the actions 27 were arrested, including new climate activists and some known from their participation in Front Line Action on Coal (FLAC) and

Extinction Rebellion Extinction Rebellion (abbreviated as XR) is a UK-founded global environmental movement, with the stated aim of using nonviolent civil disobedience to compel government action to avoid tipping points in the climate system, biodiversity loss, and ...

. Eric Sergeio Herbert was sentenced to 12 months in prison for climbing on top of a coal train. Under section 42C of the Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime Act 1989 (NSW), NSW police placed a freezing order upon 26-year-old Sasha's 2018 Hyundai Kona station wagon – which she had been living in – for her suspected part in the actions. NSW police raided Newcastle's Hunter Community Environment Centre, despite the fact that it and its members had no connection to Blockade Australia and the shutting down of Newcastle Coal Port. In July 2024, the group organised protests on the Hunter rail line impacting coal trains and more than 200 passenger trains.

Port Botany

On 22 March 2022 a man was associated to Blockade Australia by

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

having allegedly suspended himself from a pole in Port Botany. Later in the week two students of German nationality were announced to have visas revoked and to be deported for these actions. Climate activist Maxim O'Donnell Curmi was jailed for four months for running into Port Botany and climbing on top of a crane.

Sydney

Blockade Australia planned a series of actions and blockades of

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

June and July 2022. Leading up to the planned week of action, the Blockade Australia campsite located at a property in Colo, New South Wales was being monitored by police. A group member spotted two camouflaged police officers, unbeknown to the group members, and asked questions as to who they were. After lying still for a time, "as if they're playing dead", one of the camouflaged officers was reported to have said "we've been compromised" into a covert radio before running into an unmarked car that was prevented from leaving the campsite. A search warrant was then obtained and a raid on the campsite was then initiated. At least 10 people were charged in connection with the raid. A few days later, at a Blockade Australia campsite in Ebenezer, in another raid, a further two people were arrested in connection with the earlier Colo raid. One of those arrested was Koori Ngemba Elder Caroline Kirk. From the 28 July 2022 protest, 10 were arrested. The majority of those arrested were from other states. 38 Blockade Australia activists were placed on non-association orders.

Responses

Former Deputy Prime Minister

Barnaby Joyce Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce (born 17 April 1967) is an Australian politician who was the leader of the National Party of Australia from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2021 to 2022. Joyce was the 17th deputy prime minister of Australia during both ...

stated about the Port of Newcastle shutdown "If they've got other ways that this nation can earn money right now, then we're all ears... but in the meantime, we've got to make a buck." The

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

treasurer and energy minister

Matt Kean Matthew John Kean (born 16 September 1981) is a former Australian politician who is the Chair of the Climate Change Authority. Prior to this, he was the Treasurer of New South Wales in the second Perrottet ministry of New South Wales betwee ...

has asked police to "throw the book" at Blockade Australia activists. Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Taylor Martin stated "I support the Police in seeking the maximum possible sentence for anybody involved in these idiotic acts". Martin also estimated "activists have delayed $60 million in exports and $100,000 in royalties per train." Members of the New South Wales Parliament cited the activities of Blockade Australia as a key motivation for increased criminal penalties for protestors under the Roads and Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2022.

In popular culture

Eric Serge Herbert was featured in the comic strip ''First Dog on the Moon''.

References

External links

* {{authority control Climate change organisations based in Australia Direct action Climate change protests Environmental protests in Australia