NEGATIVE ENERGY

37 people have been arrested during a protest against coal exports in Newcastle. Three trains carrying over 20,000 tonnes of Hunter Valley coal were disrupted, when protesters ran onto train lines.

The protest started out peacefully enough. Environmentalists marched from Islington Park, along Maitland Road, and to the Carrington coal terminal to raise awareness about climate change. Hundreds of police escorted the group.

It was only once they neared their destination that problems began. Some protesters refused to finish the march, choosing instead to taunt and dance in front of police… before lying down on the ground. Mounted officers eventually used force to get them to move.

It wasn’t long before the arrests began. From the outset, protestors vowed to walk onto train lines to shut down the coal chain. Two and a half hours into the rally, protesters had success. Climbing not only onto train tracks, but onto trains themselves. Though they didn’t stay there long.

Environmentalists say the action was a success.

Protest organiser Georgina Woods said, “The coal trains into Carrington coal terminal have been stopped for the entire time that we’ve been here.”

37 activists were arrested, police say their sheer numbers prevented more people from making it onto the tracks.