Climate activist barricades himself inside car at world’s largest coal port

The activist has encase his arm inside concrete and is inside an immoblised car reinforced with wire

The car is blocking a railway line heading into the world’s largest coal port (Blockade Australia)

A climate activist has barricaded himself inside a reinforced car on a railway leading into the world’s largest coal port.

The activist, who only gave his name as Jarrah, has locked his arm into a metal part encased in concrete in a hole in the ground on the tracks leading to the Port of Newcastle on the East Coast of Australia.

The barrier was organised by Blockade Australia, a climate protest group that takes direct action at ‘economic bottlenecks and centres of political power’.

Jarrah said: “The Australian system is responsible for catastrophic destruction, not just locally, but globally.

“Sustained action that disrupts economic activity is the only effective means of creating the political change needed to salvage a liveable future.”

The activist, Jarrah, says direct action is the only way forward (Blockade Australia)

Australia is a massive global supplier of fossil fuels and the government has been slammed by environmentalists for its lukewarm commitment to reduce emissions – Australia’s 2030 emissions target, a 26% cut on 2005 levels, is half the US and UK benchmarks.

A statement from Blockade Australia said: “Direct action is necessary. We are in a crisis created by destructive states like Australia.

“This crisis is not only one that impacts the climate and ecology, but all of humanity’s social systems.”

Australia is a massive global supplier of fossil fuels (Blockade Australia)

It adds: “Climate inaction means climate violence. A majority of the world’s population already suffers from exploitation and violence at the hands of nations like Australia.

“This crisis will make it incomprehensible. We need to blockade Australia.

“Australia is a threat to all life on earth. Australia doesn’t care about you, or your vote, or a liveable future. Unless we get in the way, it will keep destroying everything that’s important to us.”

The Port Authority of New South Wales has been approached for a comment.