Australian police have arrested and charged 11 climate protesters during a large-scale blockade of Newcastle harbor, as thousands of activists targeted the world’s largest coal export terminal in a weekend action organised by Rising Tide.

The New South Wales government had imposed a broad marine exclusion zone over most of the harbor until 7 am Monday, warning that anyone crossing the buoy-marked boundary would face enforcement action. As of early Saturday afternoon, police confirmed 11 arrests for alleged marine-related offences as officers maintained a high-visibility presence across the area.

Climate demonstrators gathered on Saturday morning, many entering the harbour in kayaks and small watercraft, including Australian Greens leader Larissa Waters. Hundreds paddled into the shipping channel to disrupt coal movements, forcing at least one vessel, the Cemtex Leader, to turn away.

Rising Tide claimed 19 people had been arrested, with some later released without charge, although police did not verify that figure. The group said 10 swimmers were pulled from the water while four kayakers were taken into custody after entering the channel from Stockton. Five more protesters, including members of the Knitting Nannas activist group, were detained on a small boat but later released.

Steep fines for protesters

Offences linked to breaching the marine exclusion zone carry fines of up to $1,100. Others have reportedly been charged under NSW anti-protest laws, which can result in penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment.

One of the arrested activists, Newcastle parent Jonathon Dykyj, said the personal consequences of being detained were minimal compared with the impact of climate inaction.

“The personal consequences to me of getting arrested today pale into insignificance compared to the consequences that runaway climate change will have on our community,” he said.

In a video posted online, Waters praised the demonstrators, describing them as “thousands of good-hearted people fighting for a safe climate.”

Millions at risk in Australia

Australia faces a stark future in which rising seas and intensifying heat threaten millions of lives and livelihoods, according to a landmark climate risk assessment released in September. The findings come just days before the government was due to unveil new emissions-reduction targets, a key step under the Paris climate accord.

The report warns that global warming will unleash “cascading, compounding, concurrent” threats across the country. Climate Minister Chris Bowen underscored the urgency, declaring, “We are living climate change now. It’s no longer a forecast, a projection, or a prediction; it is a live reality, and it’s too late to avoid any impacts.”

By 2050, around 1.5 million people in coastal regions are expected to face direct risk from sea level rise and flooding. That figure could double to three million by the end of the century.

'Terrifying' outlook

Amanda McKenzie, chief executive of the Climate Council, called the findings “terrifying". She urged urgent action, saying, “We can choose a better future by cutting climate pollution harder and faster now. The first step is legislating the strongest possible 2035 climate target and stopping new polluting projects.”

For decades, climate action in Australia has been entangled in the so-called “climate wars', a fierce political battle over emissions policy. While the current Labor government has accelerated investment in renewable energy and pledged deeper cuts in greenhouse gases, it has also continued to approve fossil fuel projects.

One flashpoint is the North West Shelf project, a massive liquefied gas operation recently granted a 40-year extension. Producing more than 10 million tonnes of gas and petroleum annually, it has drawn sharp criticism from Indigenous and environmental groups.