Multiple Rising Tide protesters arrested and charged at Newcastle Harbor after allegedly failing to comply with police directions

The incident occurred during a planned three-day blockade of the world’s largest coal port by the activist group Rising Tide, which came ashore on Friday with surfboards, kayaks and boats.

On Saturday, eight protesters entered the shipping canal in an attempt to stop a coal ship from leaving around 1:30 p.m.

In a statement on Saturday, the state of New South Wales confirmed that three people had been charged as a high-visibility operation was underway at the port.

At approximately 1:45 p.m. Saturday, officers ordered several people to leave the shipping channel for safety reasons.

After two men, aged 27 and 59, and a woman, aged 26, allegedly remained in the water, they were taken to Newcastle Police Station where they were charged with failing to comply with safety instructions from an authorized authority.

They were granted conditional bail and are due to appear before Newcastle District Court on Monday, January 13 next year.

“Several other people were not arrested in the water, but police assisted them as they tried to return to shore,” the statement said.

Police then appealed to protesters to follow police instructions and “refrain from entering the port with the intention of inconveniencing other port users.”

“The community is reminded that the safe passage of ships is protected under New South Wales legislation. “Illegal activity may result in fines or imprisonment.”

On Friday morning, demonstrators went to Horseshoe Beach in Newcastle and then took to the water, where they remained overnight and into Saturday.

The protest comes just a day after the Supreme Court of New South Wales decided to overturn the state’s maritime exclusion zone, which was created to prevent protesters from creating a water blockade at the harbour.

The group’s intention is to “peacefully protest” against the coal port because it “exports coal that generates 1% of global emissions while our government continues to approve new coal and gas projects,” the Facebook post said.

One of the videos posted on social media by the group shows a protester being arrested by police on a boat in the water.

“Peter said he decided to risk arrest because the government is not listening to the science, which clearly says we cannot open new coal and gas projects,” the caption reads.

Meanwhile, Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett appeared at the event and lent his support to the demonstration, criticizing the “overreach” of the New South Wales government for trying to stop it.

“Is the threat to the prosperity and peace of the Hunter region found in a group of citizens peacefully exercising their democratic rights, or in the continued export of material that will blow up the world?” he told the crowd.

More than 100 arrests were made during last year’s protest at Newcastle Harbor.