On March 28 2010, a flotilla of brave campaigners and citizens and protesters tried to stop the Newcastle coal port and briefly succeeded. This was a Rising Tide Australia action.
The context is that Newcastle is a huge coal exporting port for both thermal coal and metallurgical coal. In 2010, while the Labour government had just abandoned its lame “carbon reduction pollution scheme” it was still talking about continuing to expand coal export infrastructure.
And these human beings were trying to stop it.
Why this matters.
It’s easy to forget that there has been constant resistance to stupidity. But there is that Schiller line, isn’t there – “against stupidity, the gods themselves contend in vain.”
What happened next?
The protestors, of course failed, but that’s not their fault. And the exports have continued and are continuing against all common sense and care for future generations.