Rising Tide vows harbour blockade will go ahead, regardless of council approval
The harbour blockade, which became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year, is slated for a re-run later this year.
Public submissions opened last month, as the group revealed its plans to occupy Camp Shortland near Horseshoe Beach in Newcastle East and Richardson Park in Hamilton North opposite the Newcastle showground.
Riding Tide community organiser Zack Schofield said the change was out of respect for the residents of Newcastle East and to ensure people had a safe and stable place to stay.
The public exhibition period is understood to have been inundated with over 1000 responses, included hundreds of hard-copy filings that the group submitted in person, which will now be reviewed by council staff and submitted for councillor vote in an upcoming meeting.
Rising Tide has framed the high volume of submissions as a win for the group, arguing that "Novocastrians support this family-friendly, community protest".
"Regardless of the outcome at council, we do intend to host a protest in November," Organiser Alexa Stuart told the Newcastle Herald. "If council were to reject our application, it would certainly make it harder for the Newcastle community to participate like previous years, but in Australia we have a protected, democratic right to protest."
"Having access to council land is important for enabling us to host a safe and highly organised event."
The protest became a flash point of political debate after last year's blockaded ended in 170 arrests as activists defied Police orders on the last day and paddled into the shipping channel. Of those arrested, 133 have pleaded not guilty to serious disruption or obstruction of a major facility. The first four defendants will face trial at Newcastle Local Court in October.
A 30-hour blockade took place in 2023, but police arrested 109 people after they stayed in the water for longer in a move which attracted global media attention.
Still, the group argued in court last year that protesters were not all seeking to get arrested to amplify their cause.
Briohny Coglin, a lawyer who filed protest forms for Rising Tide, said its aim was to draw attention to governments continuing to approve new coal and gas projects, and organisers would instruct participants to follow directions and co-operate with police.
Last month, Nationals MLC Wes Fang labelled Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge as "gullible" for entertaining the group's application again after he was "deceived last year".
Mr Fang said the City of Newcastle should "stand firm against those lawbreakers" this year.
In a brief statement last week, the City of Newcastle did not respond to questions over how many submissions were received, though Rising Tide has claimed the number was close to 1300 and may represent a record for the city, but confirmed that it was a "significant number".
"These submissions have been received through our formal Have Your Say online portal, along with paper and email correspondence," a council spokesman said.
"We are now in the process of collating and reviewing submissions, with the results to be included in a report to a future Council meeting."
Ms Stuart said the group believed there was "overwhelming community support for this event" and, notwithstanding state opposition, urged the council to "listen to their constituents and act in the best interests of our community".
"In their submissions, people frequently highlighted last year's event as fun and family-friendly, with free live music, a strong sense of community, and an atmosphere that was clean, respectful, inclusive, and safe," Ms Stuart said.
"Our priority is to create a safe, family-friendly, and powerful space for thousands of people to come together and call for new jobs and support for the Hunter region, and a safe future for generations to come."
"Every year climate impacts, like floods and storms, are getting worse and so more and more people are standing up to demand a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for us all."
Rising Tide has called for immediate cancellation of new fossil fuel projects, higher taxes on exports and an end to coal shipments from Newcastle by 2030.
Rising Tide, the Newcastle-based protest group responsible for blockading the harbour in 2024, say regardless of whether the City of Newcastle approves its application to repeat the action in 2025, its protests will go ahead in November.
The harbour blockade, which became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year, is slated for a re-run later this year.
Public submissions opened last month, as the group revealed its plans to occupy Camp Shortland near Horseshoe Beach in Newcastle East and Richardson Park in Hamilton North opposite the Newcastle showground.
Riding Tide community organiser Zack Schofield said the change was out of respect for the residents of Newcastle East and to ensure people had a safe and stable place to stay.
The public exhibition period is understood to have been inundated with over 1000 responses, included hundreds of hard-copy filings that the group submitted in person, which will now be reviewed by council staff and submitted for councillor vote in an upcoming meeting.
Rising Tide has framed the high volume of submissions as a win for the group, arguing that "Novocastrians support this family-friendly, community protest".
"Regardless of the outcome at council, we do intend to host a protest in November," Organiser Alexa Stuart told the Newcastle Herald. "If council were to reject our application, it would certainly make it harder for the Newcastle community to participate like previous years, but in Australia we have a protected, democratic right to protest."
"Having access to council land is important for enabling us to host a safe and highly organised event."
The protest became a flash point of political debate after last year's blockaded ended in 170 arrests as activists defied Police orders on the last day and paddled into the shipping channel. Of those arrested, 133 have pleaded not guilty to serious disruption or obstruction of a major facility. The first four defendants will face trial at Newcastle Local Court in October.
A 30-hour blockade took place in 2023, but police arrested 109 people after they stayed in the water for longer in a move which attracted global media attention.
Still, the group argued in court last year that protesters were not all seeking to get arrested to amplify their cause.
Briohny Coglin, a lawyer who filed protest forms for Rising Tide, said its aim was to draw attention to governments continuing to approve new coal and gas projects, and organisers would instruct participants to follow directions and co-operate with police.
Last month, Nationals MLC Wes Fang labelled Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge as "gullible" for entertaining the group's application again after he was "deceived last year".
Mr Fang said the City of Newcastle should "stand firm against those lawbreakers" this year.
In a brief statement last week, the City of Newcastle did not respond to questions over how many submissions were received, though Rising Tide has claimed the number was close to 1300 and may represent a record for the city, but confirmed that it was a "significant number".
"These submissions have been received through our formal Have Your Say online portal, along with paper and email correspondence," a council spokesman said.
"We are now in the process of collating and reviewing submissions, with the results to be included in a report to a future Council meeting."
Ms Stuart said the group believed there was "overwhelming community support for this event" and, notwithstanding state opposition, urged the council to "listen to their constituents and act in the best interests of our community".
"In their submissions, people frequently highlighted last year's event as fun and family-friendly, with free live music, a strong sense of community, and an atmosphere that was clean, respectful, inclusive, and safe," Ms Stuart said.
"Our priority is to create a safe, family-friendly, and powerful space for thousands of people to come together and call for new jobs and support for the Hunter region, and a safe future for generations to come."
"Every year climate impacts, like floods and storms, are getting worse and so more and more people are standing up to demand a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for us all."
Rising Tide has called for immediate cancellation of new fossil fuel projects, higher taxes on exports and an end to coal shipments from Newcastle by 2030.
Rising Tide, the Newcastle-based protest group responsible for blockading the harbour in 2024, say regardless of whether the City of Newcastle approves its application to repeat the action in 2025, its protests will go ahead in November.
The harbour blockade, which became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year, is slated for a re-run later this year.
Public submissions opened last month, as the group revealed its plans to occupy Camp Shortland near Horseshoe Beach in Newcastle East and Richardson Park in Hamilton North opposite the Newcastle showground.
Riding Tide community organiser Zack Schofield said the change was out of respect for the residents of Newcastle East and to ensure people had a safe and stable place to stay.
The public exhibition period is understood to have been inundated with over 1000 responses, included hundreds of hard-copy filings that the group submitted in person, which will now be reviewed by council staff and submitted for councillor vote in an upcoming meeting.
Rising Tide has framed the high volume of submissions as a win for the group, arguing that "Novocastrians support this family-friendly, community protest".
"Regardless of the outcome at council, we do intend to host a protest in November," Organiser Alexa Stuart told the Newcastle Herald. "If council were to reject our application, it would certainly make it harder for the Newcastle community to participate like previous years, but in Australia we have a protected, democratic right to protest."
"Having access to council land is important for enabling us to host a safe and highly organised event."
The protest became a flash point of political debate after last year's blockaded ended in 170 arrests as activists defied Police orders on the last day and paddled into the shipping channel. Of those arrested, 133 have pleaded not guilty to serious disruption or obstruction of a major facility. The first four defendants will face trial at Newcastle Local Court in October.
A 30-hour blockade took place in 2023, but police arrested 109 people after they stayed in the water for longer in a move which attracted global media attention.
Still, the group argued in court last year that protesters were not all seeking to get arrested to amplify their cause.
Briohny Coglin, a lawyer who filed protest forms for Rising Tide, said its aim was to draw attention to governments continuing to approve new coal and gas projects, and organisers would instruct participants to follow directions and co-operate with police.
Last month, Nationals MLC Wes Fang labelled Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge as "gullible" for entertaining the group's application again after he was "deceived last year".
Mr Fang said the City of Newcastle should "stand firm against those lawbreakers" this year.
In a brief statement last week, the City of Newcastle did not respond to questions over how many submissions were received, though Rising Tide has claimed the number was close to 1300 and may represent a record for the city, but confirmed that it was a "significant number".
"These submissions have been received through our formal Have Your Say online portal, along with paper and email correspondence," a council spokesman said.
"We are now in the process of collating and reviewing submissions, with the results to be included in a report to a future Council meeting."
Ms Stuart said the group believed there was "overwhelming community support for this event" and, notwithstanding state opposition, urged the council to "listen to their constituents and act in the best interests of our community".
"In their submissions, people frequently highlighted last year's event as fun and family-friendly, with free live music, a strong sense of community, and an atmosphere that was clean, respectful, inclusive, and safe," Ms Stuart said.
"Our priority is to create a safe, family-friendly, and powerful space for thousands of people to come together and call for new jobs and support for the Hunter region, and a safe future for generations to come."
"Every year climate impacts, like floods and storms, are getting worse and so more and more people are standing up to demand a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for us all."
Rising Tide has called for immediate cancellation of new fossil fuel projects, higher taxes on exports and an end to coal shipments from Newcastle by 2030.
Rising Tide, the Newcastle-based protest group responsible for blockading the harbour in 2024, say regardless of whether the City of Newcastle approves its application to repeat the action in 2025, its protests will go ahead in November.
The harbour blockade, which became the subject of a Supreme Court ruling and an 11th-hour victory for the protesters when the court overturned state efforts to lock them out of the Camp Shortland waterfront last year, is slated for a re-run later this year.
Public submissions opened last month, as the group revealed its plans to occupy Camp Shortland near Horseshoe Beach in Newcastle East and Richardson Park in Hamilton North opposite the Newcastle showground.
Riding Tide community organiser Zack Schofield said the change was out of respect for the residents of Newcastle East and to ensure people had a safe and stable place to stay.
The public exhibition period is understood to have been inundated with over 1000 responses, included hundreds of hard-copy filings that the group submitted in person, which will now be reviewed by council staff and submitted for councillor vote in an upcoming meeting.
Rising Tide has framed the high volume of submissions as a win for the group, arguing that "Novocastrians support this family-friendly, community protest".
"Regardless of the outcome at council, we do intend to host a protest in November," Organiser Alexa Stuart told the Newcastle Herald. "If council were to reject our application, it would certainly make it harder for the Newcastle community to participate like previous years, but in Australia we have a protected, democratic right to protest."
"Having access to council land is important for enabling us to host a safe and highly organised event."
The protest became a flash point of political debate after last year's blockaded ended in 170 arrests as activists defied Police orders on the last day and paddled into the shipping channel. Of those arrested, 133 have pleaded not guilty to serious disruption or obstruction of a major facility. The first four defendants will face trial at Newcastle Local Court in October.
A 30-hour blockade took place in 2023, but police arrested 109 people after they stayed in the water for longer in a move which attracted global media attention.
Still, the group argued in court last year that protesters were not all seeking to get arrested to amplify their cause.
Briohny Coglin, a lawyer who filed protest forms for Rising Tide, said its aim was to draw attention to governments continuing to approve new coal and gas projects, and organisers would instruct participants to follow directions and co-operate with police.
Last month, Nationals MLC Wes Fang labelled Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge as "gullible" for entertaining the group's application again after he was "deceived last year".
Mr Fang said the City of Newcastle should "stand firm against those lawbreakers" this year.
In a brief statement last week, the City of Newcastle did not respond to questions over how many submissions were received, though Rising Tide has claimed the number was close to 1300 and may represent a record for the city, but confirmed that it was a "significant number".
"These submissions have been received through our formal Have Your Say online portal, along with paper and email correspondence," a council spokesman said.
"We are now in the process of collating and reviewing submissions, with the results to be included in a report to a future Council meeting."
Ms Stuart said the group believed there was "overwhelming community support for this event" and, notwithstanding state opposition, urged the council to "listen to their constituents and act in the best interests of our community".
"In their submissions, people frequently highlighted last year's event as fun and family-friendly, with free live music, a strong sense of community, and an atmosphere that was clean, respectful, inclusive, and safe," Ms Stuart said.
"Our priority is to create a safe, family-friendly, and powerful space for thousands of people to come together and call for new jobs and support for the Hunter region, and a safe future for generations to come."
"Every year climate impacts, like floods and storms, are getting worse and so more and more people are standing up to demand a fast and fair transition for coal workers, and a safe future for us all."
Rising Tide has called for immediate cancellation of new fossil fuel projects, higher taxes on exports and an end to coal shipments from Newcastle by 2030.
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The opposition Party of Freedom and Justice said that Pedja Mitrovic, its parliamentary deputy, was injured during the protests and hospitalised. "This is the handwriting of this government and Aleksandar Vucic, this is how they see Serbia," the party said in a statement. Similar protests were held in towns across the country. Earlier on Thursday, Dacic said 27 police officers and around 80 civilians were injured in Wednesday's clashes, and 47 people had been detained. Protesters have blamed corruption for the Novi Sad railway station disaster and are demanding early elections in hopes of ousting Vucic and his party. Students, opposition groups, and anti-corruption watchdogs have accused Vucic and his allies of ties to organised crime, using violence against political rivals, and suppressing media freedoms—allegations they deny. 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The opposition Party of Freedom and Justice said that Pedja Mitrovic, its parliamentary deputy, was injured during the protests and hospitalised. "This is the handwriting of this government and Aleksandar Vucic, this is how they see Serbia," the party said in a statement. Similar protests were held in towns across the country. Earlier on Thursday, Dacic said 27 police officers and around 80 civilians were injured in Wednesday's clashes, and 47 people had been detained. Protesters have blamed corruption for the Novi Sad railway station disaster and are demanding early elections in hopes of ousting Vucic and his party. Students, opposition groups, and anti-corruption watchdogs have accused Vucic and his allies of ties to organised crime, using violence against political rivals, and suppressing media freedoms—allegations they deny.
