Activists protesting Australia's coal exports block shipment with canoes

By Salih Okuroglu

Climate activists protesting coal exports in Australia and the country's lack of action on climate change blocked the road to the Newcastle Port, the world's largest coal port, with their canoes Saturday to prevent coal shipments, according to media reports.

Hundreds of protesters from the state of New South Wales (NSW) took to the water in canoes to block the shipping channel leading to the Port of Newcastle, ABC News reported.

Demonstrators blocked coal shipments with their canoes at the event organized by the climate activist group, Rising Tide.

Rising Tide announced that the actions would last 30 hours.

Demonstrators demanded that the federal government stop all new fossil fuel projects and review climate change.

"We know that fossil fuel companies will not be on the ground to help us when the climate crisis really happens,” said Valerie Thompson, one of the participants of the protest.

“We call on the government to immediately stop their senseless profiteering at the expense of our climate and our future,” she added.

*Writing by Merve Berker