We, at Vodwall Live – a US-based video blog site, went to Newcastle, Australia on October 17, 2014 to film and live stream the Pacific Climate Warriors peaceful protest of Australia’s fossil fuels and coal industry. 30 Pacific Island chiefs and their entourage from 12 Pacific Islands arrived in Australia to form a flotilla blockade of hand carved canoes all brought over from their home islands. The Warriors created the blockade against coal ships leaving the Port of Newcastle as a political statement to save the Pacific waters from the destruction of coal fracking and mining. These brave warriors’ fight is fueled by the realities of rising sea levels, unprecedented massive tides, increased flooding of their homes, lost crops, critical infrastructure damaged and devastating economic loses in their island communities.
The Pacific Warrior’s protest is a continuation of the global climate change fight of September 20 & 21, 2014. And the city of Newcastle was chosen because it is the number one coal producing and exporting city in the world, exporting over 100 million tons each year.
We witnessed great courage, valor and uncompromising devotion to the cause of saving the Pacific islands from the destruction of the coal industry. Nothing deterred the Warriors from their battle. Whether the struggle of keeping their canoes afloat, or the ramming of the Newcastle Marine police boats against the canoes, or the threat of $500 citations to anyone returning to the waters to go block oncoming coal ships headed out to sea. Over 100 canoes, dingies, small sail boats, rafts, kayaks, and even a parasailing vessel were used to block the mouth of Newcastle Harbor.
The protesters were met with constant local and marine police intimidation all day, threatening to give citations to anyone who takes their rafts or canoes out to the harbor waters in protest. We witnessed marine police in black speed rafts alongside black jet-skis race from every part of the harbor to block the protesters’ path to the center of Hunter River. After the first coal ship of the day was blocked, then delayed by the Pacific Warriors, the police proceeded to push back even more fiercely the dozens of canoes and rafts in the water.
At one point, when the Australian protesters heard that there would be a possibility of receiving citations by the police, most of them hesitated to return to the water, as if retreating from a losing battle. It took a Pacific Warrior to go on the loud speaker to start the rallying cry, “we are not drowning, we are fighting.” His loyal warrior comrades joined in on the chant – their battle cry. All warriors then took up their oars, grabbed their canoes and dashed back out to the harbor waters, defying the police threats and defying the crowd’s fear and hesitation. All the rest of the protesters followed behind the warriors, thus cementing their solidarity to the Pacific Warriors. Protest banners unfueled in the strong bay winds, while hand-painted signs reading ‘stop coal’ or ‘fossil fuels kill’ were waved in the air by children standing at Nobby Beach.
In the end, there were no arrests made, but several protesters were detained by police. There were some minor injuries reported by those protesters thrown into the water from their vessels. Fortunately, a few legal counselors were present to assist in advising the detained protesters, offering them legal representation.
Is it possible that Newcastle police and Marine police were working in the interest of the coal mining industry and not in the interest of the Newcastle community? As evidenced by their aggressive action against those unfortunate canoes that were rammed, broken and then capsized by police boats in the choppy Hunter River waters. However, some Marine Police who were perched on their jet-skis were seen from a distance to move rhythmically to the beat of island music that played over a loud speaker during the protest. This gave some of us some semblance of humanity and hope from local law enforcement. It was a waiting game played by the Marine Police in the waters and local police on land as they hovered around the protesters. But the Warriors were undaunted. They regrouped, quickly repaired their broken canoes and instantly returned to the rough waters to form yet another blockade for the next approaching coal ship.
By 4:30pm the Pacific Climate Warriors and their hundreds of Australian supporters and environmental advocates successfully blocked or delayed twelve ships that were scheduled to pass the Newcastle Harbor, either coming in or departing Newcastle. We even saw a Japanese ship approach the harbor entrance, stop and turned itself around in retreat back to the open sea.
The battle was bravely fought. Progress was made. However, the fight continues to save the Pacific Islands.
#PacificClimateWarriors
#StandForThePacific
#PeoplesClimate
#ClimateChange
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