Police take Stop Adani protest to court to ban march in Newtown

Stop Adani Sydney activists were shocked when Newtown police indicated that they would be applying to the Supreme Court to ban their march on King St this Sunday.

Despite putting in the relevant paperwork well in advance, members of #StopAdani Sydney were informed by police that they would be banned from marching down King St, and constrained to the footpaths and back streets.

#StopAdani Sydney is a community based, volunteer run group that is attempting to educate the public about the horrors of both the Adani mine in particular and the coal industry more broadly.

“To be refused the right to march in sight of the public is a fundamental attack on our freedom of speech and right to protest”, explained Clara Reidel, police liason for the group.

“We’re already in a David and Goliath battle against a multi-billion dollar multinational corporation. That the police are effectively seeking to silence us is disgraceful.”

Over 70% of Australians oppose the Adani mine. That rate is higher again among Labor and Greens voters, who make up around two thirds of Inner West Council voters. At least one thousand people are expected to attend to say no to the Adani mine.

“Climate change is already having impacts right here in the Inner West with more storms and heat waves worsening. We expect the court to defend our right to protest against this mine and the broader climate catastrophe”, said Clara Reidel. ”Any other outcome would be an undemocratic travesty.”

The Adani Carmichael megamine would have a devastating environmental impact worldwide, massively increasing greenhouse gas emissions, threatening water supplies and endangered species, as well as impacting Indigenous land rights. The Adani rail line to the Galilee Basin will also open up the option for other projects in this coal region.

The UN IPCC report of October 2018 makes it clear we must massively cut emissions by 2030 to have a chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change. In this context the Adani mine would be a disaster, prioritising profits over millions of lives.

Regardless of the outcome of this attempt by the Newtown police to stifle our freedom of speech, #StopAdani Sydney calls on climate activists to join us at Camperdown Park, Newtown at 1pm on 17 February 2019. All are welcome to join us in calling on both major parties to change their policy position and stop the Adani Carmichael coal mine.