Protest Group Rising Tide has labelled a marine exclusion zone in the Port of Newcastle “cowardly” and “draconian”.
No unauthorised vessels or people other than commercial vessels approved by the harbour master will be allowed to enter the Port during the planned Protestival, which begins on Thursday.
Authorities made an attempt to enforce the rule last year, but it was overturned in a last minute Supreme Court decision. Organisers say Transport for NSW has used a different section of the Marine Safety Act, and they won’t be challenging it in court.
Organiser Zack Schofield believes the State Government is repressing a peaceful protest.
“What it shows is a desire to keep the engine of the coal industry running 365 days a year without any sort of recourse for our young people, or for Hunter workers who are facing the collapse of that industry in the next five years,” he said.
“If the Government thinks that they can arrest their way out of their own policy failures, then they’re very much mistaken,” he said.
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| Credit / Rising Tide |
