A big week for Nannas from all over NSW with a large gathering at the Rising Tide Blockade in Newcastle – lots of fun and excitement.
Rising Tide Blockade
A Sydney Nanna and 97-year-old Reverend Alan Stuart were among the 109 people arrested on Sunday at the Rising Tide Blockade of the Newcastle coal port.
Our Nanna was one of the first arrestees. She was struggling to stay with the flotilla and police plucked her out of her kayak and put her onto their black rubber duckie, while her borrowed kayak floated away.
“It reminded me of lions picking off the weakest members of the pack,’’ observed one of the kayakers watching the arrest methods used by police.
As one of the repeat offenders, our Nanna was taken by paddy wagon to the Newcastle Police station and held for 8 hours while charges were processed. Eighteen people who had been arrested before were taken to different police stations in the area, while 86 first offenders were processed at the nearby Port Authority.
As police made the arrests they set the kayaks and other assorted vessels adrift, and at one point a pile of them blocked traffic access to the Stockton bridge. Rising Tide volunteers spent hours retrieving all the vessels from rocky headlands and beaches in the area – a huge task.
The retired United Church minister, Alan Stuart, became the oldest person ever charged in Australia. Knitting Nanna’s late friend, Bill Ryan, held that honour at 96 when he was arrested for locking on to Carrington Railway in Newcastle in 2018. The Ryan family said, “Bill’s commitment to the cause has always been a source of pride and inspiration in our family, and we know that he would be delighted to see his record broken”.
Highlights of the Event
Around 30 Nannas from the Hunter, MidCoast, Central Coast, Gloucester, Coffs Harbour, Illawarra and Sydney were part of this well-organised event which had contingents of activists from other states, Darwin and the ACT.
It started on Friday 24 November with an event briefing, and training began for nonviolent direct action, social media and kayaking. The message was “we can have fun and save the world at the same time”.
There was live music, a Discobedience performance and more workshops. Everyone helped form a human sign saying ‘We are the Rising Tide’. Nannas are the second I in Rising – look for the yellow line.
Hundreds of people joined the blockade flotilla launch on Saturday morning from Horseshoe Beach, and continued in shifts all day and through the night.
Nanna Bron braved a shift in the moonlight and said later “I survived a 2-hour stint in a kayak in the middle of the night. It was very peaceful and lovely but a bit scary. It was so good to see Nanna Bernie loom out of the dark in her kayak. She made sure I got safely to shore without getting too wet.”
The flotilla continued to block the port on Sunday, while there were lots of activities on the beach. Mainstream media cameras were there and a few journalists which helped to create national and international media coverage.
When the Form 1 relating to an authorised assembly in the Port of Newcastle expired at 4pm on Sunday there were many blockaders still in the water and determined to extend the time the coal ships were stopped.
Police soon began arresting 109 people, including five under 18, who were released and will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
The 104 adults arrested were all issued court attendance notices for operating a vessel so as to interfere with others use of waters.
Bail conditions for those with previous arrests were that they were not allowed to associate with any protest group until they appear in court on Thursday 11 January 2024. Two men didn’t agree to these bail conditions and were kept in the lock up until a bail hearing the next day. The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) and Rising Tide volunteers are assisting those arrested to appeal their bail conditions.
The event site was well set up with meeting tents, a kitchen tent and other gazebos on the lawn. An area was set aside for the many campers. On the beach there was a stage at one end, lots of kayaks and other craft, and a row of gazebos set up by a variety of groups.
Nannas from loops in the Hunter region worked together to provide information, support and Nanna merch to visitors. Nannas provided first aid in a team that included doctors who were on call throughout the event.
Nannas were glad of the shelter offered by the Nannadome. There was rain on Saturday and fierce sun on Sunday. Next year we will need at least one other gazebo to fit us all in.
Nannas enjoyed catching up with the many activists at the Blockade who have been working for many years to keep fossil fuels in the ground and to protect native forests.
A big shout out to Rising Tide and everyone who volunteered in so many ways to make this event such a success.
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Lots more images, videos and reels on Rising Tide’s social media.
Join us at the following events
Saturday 2 December: COP 28 Rally
12 noon to 2pm Belmore Park, near Central Station. March to Sydney Town Hall.
Nannas will meet at 11.45am near the entrance to the park off Eddy Avenue. This protest is being held during this year’s COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. This global climate summit, has been ambushed by the oil and gas industry. There were more than 636 fossil fuel lobbyists at COP27 in 2022. This year it is hosted by the United Arab Emirates, a major oil and gas producer, with an oil executive overseeing the talks. No wonder Nannas are angry!
Main demands: Act on the Climate Emergency – No New Fossil Fuels. Other demands:
- 100% public renewables by 2030
- A just transition for fossil fuel workers
- First Nations led solutions
- Real carbon cuts not offsets
Speakers at the rally will include: Arthur Rorris from the Illawarra Trades & Labour Council about offshore wind, a Pacifica spokesperson, SS4C and Matty Shields Gomeroi man and member of Nurses Union. Facebook Event
Sydney Nannas have been getting up early on Monday and Wednesday mornings to hand out flyers to NSW public servants as they enter their offices at 52 Martin Place in the city and at the Dept of Plannng at Parramatta. This is part of Lock the Gate’s NSW Coal Watch campaign against the 14 new coal mines being planned for NSW.
If you can help with the campaign please contact – angela@lockthegate.org
BBF Native Forest Vigil
On Wednesdays, after a cup of coffee and a chat, the Nannas were back in Martin Place on the corner of Macquarie Street at 12 noon to talk to the passing public and politicians about the plight of our native forests and koalas. They will be there again next week.
December 9 – 11 – The Joy and Mischief Project
Yalagang Room, Bondi Pavilion (map)
Join artist Eav Brennan and learn simple hand-sewing and visible mending skills to help craft a collective tapestry celebrating Bondi marine life. Register for 2 hour free workshops and see drop-in times.
Nannas are following
Australian Climate Case
After On-Country hearings in Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait) in June, further hearings for the landmark Australian Climate Case resumed at the Australian Federal Court in Naarm (Melbourne) from 8–27 November.
Faced with rising sea levels and distressing inaction on climate change, in October 2021 Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul filed the Australian Climate Case against the Australian Government for failing to prevent climate change.
The next hearings will take place in Cairns in April and a decision is anticipated later in 2024. Grata Fund media release with background information and lots of links to more information.
NSW Climate Change (Net Zero Futures) Bill which is being debated in parliament this week. There is hope that the proposed targets for emissions reductions will be improved, but the bill won’t affect the 14 proposed coal mine expansions planned for NSW.
Nannas are reading
Let forests grow old to store huge volume of carbon – study. The Guardian
Contact Us
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