This morning a woman was arrested when twenty-four Rising Tide supporters held a protest at Glencore's Newcastle office objecting to the Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) Continuation Project coal mine expansion.
The protesters carried a banner reading "Say no to HVO Hunter Valley Operations" and sang protest songs, chanted and spoke about their experiences of climate impacts and their objection to further fossil fuel extraction. Protesters completed submissions to the Independent Planning Commission's (IPC) current public consultation process for the mine during the protest.
Police ordered the protestors to leave or face arrest. One woman, Linda Alcorn, who remained inside, was arrested while the rest of the group left the building. As she was escorted to the custody van Alcorn said "I'm doing this for my grandchildren". She was taken to Newcastle police station, charged with Section s4b1 (g) "Trespass on enclosed lands" and subsequently released.
Outside the building they continued their protest, singing while holding signs reading "Stop the Biggest Coal Project in NSW History", "Climate Crisis No New Coal" and "Fund New Jobs".
Glencore, along with Yancoal, have proposed an expansion of the HVO coal mine. If approved HVO would be the largest coal mine in NSW history and export coal until 2045.
Linda Alcorn, Newcastle grandmother who was arrested at today's action, said:
“I’m protesting the HVO expansion for my grandchildren and future generations. I have asthma and have been personally affected by living in the coal mining region of the Hunter. I voted for clean energy and therefore clean health, and I think this project is horrific and completely counter to what we should be doing in this country.”
Edie Griffin, ICU nurse who also attended the protest today, said:
“I’m at Glencore’s office today because, as a registered nurse, I see climate action as a crucial form of primary preventative healthcare. As a child I saw a decade of drought devastate my hometown. As an ICU nurse, I’ve seen how heat causes illness and death. In January I treated a patient whose cardiac arrest was caused by this extreme heat, and I am here today for her.”
Linda Alcorn is available for comment.
Photos and videos of the event can be found here.
