Police have arrested 66 people during a large civil disobedience protest on Newcastle Harbour today, NSW Police say.
About 8am today, police spotted a man suspended by rope from a conveyor belt above a ship at Kooragang Island.
The 41-year-old was arrested and charged with enter enclosed lands and destroy or damage property.
About the same time, three females abseiled from Stockton Bridge at the Port Waratah coal facility.
Two women, aged 26 and 27, were arrested and charged with remain on enclosed lands and destroy or damage property.
A 22-year-old woman was arrested and charged with remain on enclosed lands.
A woman has been arrested after scaling a coal carrier’s mooring lines at Mayfield.
The 25-year-old has been charged with climb on or attach to vessel without authority and not comply with direction by authorised officer.
A 35-year-old man who allegedly dropped the woman at the location by boat has been charged with assist person climb on or attach to vessel without authority.
A third person, who was a passenger on the inflatable boat, was arrested and later released pending further inquiries.
A 39-year-old man has been charged with malicious damage and enter enclosed lands after allegedly attaching himself to a ship loader at Mayfield and a 50-year-old man has been arrested and charged with allegedly operating a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) within 30 metres of an unassociated person at Kooragang Island.
All have been granted police bail and are due to appear in Newcastle Local Court on June 9.
In addition, 57 protesters who occupied a rail bridge, blocking coal trains, at Sandgate have been arrested and issued with Field Court Attendance Notices (FCANs) for remain on enclosed lands.
Around 200 kayaks symbolically blocked Newcastle Harbour as part of the anti-fossil fuel protest by about 1,500 people.
Police conducted Operation Stellway during the protest.
Officers from the Newcastle City Local Area Command, the Public Order and Riot Squad, the Police Air Wing, the Police Transport Command, the Operations Support Group, Police Rescue and other commands were deployed to ensure a peaceful and lawful demonstration.
The Marine Area Command deployed 20 vessels to control activity on Newcastle Harbour.
Operation Commander, John Gralton, said police respect the right to protest but unfortunately some demonstrators set out to flout the law and put themselves and others at risk.
