Just Stop It! No more gas, no more coal, no more oil! XR at Ampol depot.

Protestors atop truck, with Oilies. Click on image for greater clarity.

Yesterday, Tuesday, XR protestors arrived just after dawn in convoy at the Ampol Depot in Newport. We came with 4 rented trucks, and a determination to close down the entire plant for as long as possible. By blocking access to the two main gates we aimed to impede the tankers from collecting and distributing their petrol supplies. 

 

Climbing the Heights. Click on image for greater clarity.

Two volunteer climate heroes scaled each truck and locked on in the full knowledge that eventually this would lead to their arrest.  

Click on image for greater clarity

 

The Oilies were there to make their point that our over-dependence on petrol is killing us.

On this grey morning I started out at the side street entrance of the plant, where the climbers were quickly supported by other performers wearing their messages not only on their sleeves but on their whole bodies: 

Click on image for greater clarity

The police arrived early and kept silent watch from a distance.

 

Click on image for greater clarity

 And soon the tankers too began arriving, and were redirected by police and plant staff, who with one exception, took our presence in their stride.

 

Click on image for greater clarity

Protestors supported each other on the ground, and on top of the trucks. Marian mingled among the crowd live-streaming, asking protestors what had inclined them to get out of bed so early, to travel in darkness to the other side of the city and to take part in this action. 

 

Click on image for greater clarity

 

On hearing that the police were about to start removing the locked-on protestors at the main entrance, I made my way around there. The police had banned protestors, except for a few from XR liaison, from the forecourt. We were restricted to watching the brave climbers from the other side of the road.

 

Click on image for greater clarity

As they were removed we applauded and cheered from a distance, acknowledging them for the climate heroes they are.

 

Click on image for greater clarity

 

Click on image for greater clarity

Click on image for greater clarity

Click on image for greater clarity

Click on image for greater clarity

Click on image for greater clarity

 

 

By the end of the day nine protestors were arrested and taken away in the police van. I am in awe of their bravery. 

And I had a wonderful and unexpected experience earlier. When I arrived at the second site and positioned myself to take photos I had noticed two young women working in tandem to show the sign - 'Honk for climate action' - to passing motorists. 

 

Click on image for greater clarity

During the time I was standing near them I was amazed at how much honking was going on for what is often characterized as extreme and disruptive actions. Small cars, large cars, passing trucks - a medley of drivers demonstrated their support and obviously the increasing universality of fear for our future and that of the planet. 

Click on image for greater clarity

 

 

 

Jane Morton XR on trial

 

Click image for greater clarity

"For blocking the Princes Bridge in late 2019 with XR I'm trying the 'Extraordinary Emergency' defence."  So said Jane Morton when she asked me to blog about her trial on Monday. I was more than happy to do so. Court turned out to be a somewhat weird experience. 

As we are in Lockdown, Jane was not required to attend court in person, but rather was tried online via Webex. And only the main protagonists - the magistrate, the prosecutor, a detective senior constable, the 2 defence witnesses and Jane herself were ever visible. The rest of us, a large grid of observers in our own tiny boxes with names underneath, remained invisible and silent throughout the whole long day. We were not permitted to record the proceedings or of course to take photos. Luckily, (for this post) I had previously taken photos of Jane at a variety of XR events. And although I was not present at the action on September 13, 2019 at which she was arrested, Jane herself was able to supply me with photos from that day:

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

 

Click image for greater clarity

And here is some of what Liam Mannix and Ashleigh McMilan, reporting for The Age, had to say about the event: 

"It was a protest in the best traditions of Melbourne, Australia's city of protests: loud, colourful, chaotic and, often, bizarre. The Extinction Rebellion protest drew hundreds to the banks of the Yarra, there to call for the government to declare a climate crisis and take action to halt it. Dozens were arrested, but not before they shut down Princes Bridge for three hours from midday, causing transport chaos.

'We have totally run out of time', said Jane Morton, one of the protest's leaders. 'Scientists are saying we're reaching the tipping point for an irreversible hothouse earth. To get the government to declare a climate emergency, the most powerful tactic is to go to a large city and shut it down for as long as possible. We are risking human extinction'."

At Court 26 Jane faced two charges: obstructing a road and obstructing a footpath. She was not contesting any of the facts described by the police, but rather arguing that the extraordinary emergency which humanity now faces means that non-violent civil disobedience has become a necessity. 

Jane had chosen to defend herself. But to strengthen her case she aimed to present an affidavit from Emeritus Professor and Climate Change Expert Will Steffen. She had also invited two witnesses. 

In his statement Professor Steffen argued that mass civil disobedience is reasonable at this point in history. Unfortunately the magistrate ruled that the affidavit was inadmissable, that Professor Steffen needed to have come to court to present his argument. As to the two witnesses, Psychologist Carol Ride and Research Director David Spratt, both of whom have huge amounts of lived experience and are eminent and long-standing climate change activists, their credentials were challenged and their input denigrated as insufficiently expert. 

Jane's own credentials, you would think, are indisputable. She is Convenor of Darebin Climate Action Now, and was integral to Darebin Council's decision to declare their district in a climate emergency. This critical step has since been followed by numerous cities and countries all around the world. 

Click image for greater clarity

 

Jane's self defence proved articulate and powerful. She explained how for over a decade she was involved in numerous different attempts and tactics to change government policy and alert the public to the rapidly-growing threat of climate change. She finally left her job as a psychologist in 2015 because she feared that time was running out. Eventually, along with so many others, Jane has concluded that peaceful civil disobedience is the only way to get the message across and to catalyse the changes needed to avert global catastrophe. Her accompanying power-point presentation left no doubt that the world is in a parlous state.

 

Click image for greater clarity

 The timing of Jane's trial was uncanny.

Yesterday the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) which includes 243 leading scientists from 60 countries, presented their report. This assessment will be crucial when global leaders meet in November to determine the future of the planet. 

According to the IPCC: "The Climate Crisis is 'unequivocally' caused by human activities...The Earth could be just 10 years from heating by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius - a threshold beyond which even more serious and frequent fires, droughts, floods and cyclones are expected to wreak havoc on humanity. Alert Condition: Red!"

At the end of court on Monday no ruling was made. Time was allocated for the Prosecutor and Jane to enter submissions. (I think the best submission for Jane to enter would be the IPCC report!) After that the Magistrate will make his judgment. This process is likely to take at least a month, so watch this space. 

Congratulations, Jane, on your articulate, passionate and powerful stance and self defence. You did yourself, XR, the community and the world proud.

 

Click image for greater clarity

 

Plotting Survival: Save Collingwood Community Gardens rally

 

 

                                                            Click image for greater clarity

This morning, on a cold grey winter's day, I met with other protestors in St Heliers Street Abbotsford, between the Convent and the Children's Farm. We were there because three or so weeks ago the gates to the Collingwood Community Gardens, which have been an integral part of the farm for 42 years, were locked by the farm's Committee of Management.  Since then the excluded gardeners have looked on in dismay as the weeds have flourished and the crops that they tend or harvest at this time of year have withered and died.

 

                                                        Click image for greater clarity

Protestors, including many of the gardeners themselves and a rapidly increasing number of supporters, were meeting to insist that the Children's Farm Management reverse their decision and open the gates to gardeners. The fear is, as the Yarra Residents Collective put it: 'Until gardeners are returned to their plots, this invaluable community resource remains under serious threat of being lost to the people of Yarra.' 

The gardeners spoke eloquently about the importance of the gardens in their lives. For Ingrid, who lives in the high-rise flats, as well as providing her with delicious fresh food, the gardens have also been a quiet space where she can nurture her health and strength. Ingrid emphasized that she was also representing some other gardeners, who are unconfident speaking in public, especially as English is not their first language.

 

 Click image for greater clarity

The gardens have always provided an oasis for immigrants to Australia. Anna, who spoke next, described how her father started the tradition, but since then her husband, her children and grand-children have all joined her at the gardens. Anna is devastated by the lock out. 

                                                            Click image for greater clarity
 

Greg's family too has been involved with the farm for generations. Over that time Greg has delighted in the calls of the bell birds and the kookaburras and the spotting of blue-tongued lizards. He finds it ironical that as the danger of snakes is a centre-piece of the opposition argument that he has never actually seen one there. He feels that in general the Committee of Management's safety concerns are exaggerated, citing the fact that gardeners in wheel chairs and those using zimmer frames have reported no mishaps. Greg concluded with a public service announcement: there are currently 10 spare plots, so now is the perfect time to apply for one. 

                                                            Click image for greater clarity
 

Charlotte is unabashedly passionate about the gardens. She stressed how important it is, especially as so many of us urbanites never get to immerse our hands in soil, to tend a garden. Especially when we get to do so alongside other like-minded nature lovers. 

The final gardener/speaker emphasized the long history and heritage of the gardens. When he finally acquired a plot he inherited an established asparagus plant from the previous owner, whose bounty he was supremely grateful for. Peter also described how the garden had been invaluable during Lockdown when his own income was reduced and he could also distribute food to others. 

Stephen Jolly, local council member and widely-respected socialist community activist, raised the spirits of the meeting with his emphatic assertion that the plotters 'have the full backing of the community... & hell will freeze over before plot holders will be kicked off their land'. 

                                                            Click image for greater clarity
 

Stephen made the point that this struggle is unusual. For once the opponents are not big business nor government, but 'the benign' unelected Committee of Management of the Collingwood Children's Farm. He believes that the Committee needs to sit down and talk to the plot holders. If their concerns are truly predominantly about health and safety, he suggests that they could be addressed in a weekend, as skilled union workers have already volunteered to help out. 

The Yarra Mayor and Adam Bandt, who stand in solidarity with the gardeners, both sent representatives to the protest. Richard Wynn, Planning Minister for the State Labor government, was the outstanding absentee.

 

                                                            Click image for greater clarity

Damian, Adam Bandt's Chief of Staff, made a most interesting and heartening point. Abbotsford Convent is on the National Heritage List, and the gardens are included as part of 'monastic farm land'. The Greens intend to to follow up with Sussan Ley, the Minister for the Environment, because locking the gardeners out could well represent a breach of law. 

 

                                                            Click image for greater clarity
 

I was very glad that I braved the cold and threatened rain to attend the protest. Surely with so many determined, well-informed people and righteous people standing together the Collingwood Children's Farm will have to see the light and unlock the gates.  

School Strike for Climate. Melbourne CBD

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

 

The School Strike for Climate in the Treasury Gardens this afternoon was huge. The Unions were there, as was XR, the Climate Choir, politicians, the media, teachers, parents, grandparents and others. 

 

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

But of course the stars of the day were the school students. Both secondary and primary, from schools all over Melbourne and beyond, they were there in their thousands. Representatives spoke with passion of their determination to fight for a better world, and they received tremendous support from the audience.

Click image for greater clarity

 

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read more »

Requiem for a Dying Ocean XR at NGV

Click image for greater clarity

 

As planned, I arrived this morning outside the NGV to join Extinction Rebellion members protesting again the destruction of our oceans.

 

Click image for greater clarity

What wasn't planned was the rain that began tipping down on performers, protestors and most importantly my camera. But, saturated as we all rapidly became, nothing was going to stop us. The stakes are just too high. As the Extinction Rebellion pamphlet explains:

'Life began in the oceans, and they are critical to continued life on earth. They regulate our climate and weather patterns and provide 50% of the world's oxygen. But the climate crisis is destroying our oceans. Ocean warming, acidification, sea level rise, overfishing, shipping and deep sea mining mean that around one third of reef-building corals and marine mammals are facing extinction. When our oceans die, so do we. Join the Rebellion.' 

Click image for greater clarity

Protestors stood opposite each other rhythmically swinging plastic 'waves' up and down, but as the rain increased I began to wonder if they would soon be redundant -we would have waves for real. Which is of course exactly what is happening to our NSW neighbours, as they suffer a catastrophe no doubt exacerbated by climate change.  

The one person already reconciled to getting drenched, who knew enough to bring a change of clothes, was the young French horn player, who took up perhaps her most unusual performance position ever - in the moat of the NGV:

Click image for greater clarity

 

Periodically she had to break to tip the water out of her horn, but it only momentarily stopped her enthusiastic playing:

Click image for greater clarity

 

The Red Rebels, accompanying her from what was intended to be dry ground, as always added to the atmosphere.  

Click image for greater clarity

 

Too soon the event was over, and immediately even the Red Rebels got caught up in every day life:

 

Click image for greater clarity

As for me, on the way home on the train, I couldn't stop thinking about the human relationship with water. We can be terrified of it, desperate for it, 60% of the human body is composed of it. Yet I for one in the past had pretty much taken it for granted.  But that time is over. Now the oceans need us: 

'The oceans are rising and so are we'!
 

Climate Crisis - National Day of Action - Melbourne

Click image for greater clarity

This afternoon the forecourt of the State Library Victoria was packed as protestors from all over the state met to demand government action on the climate crisis.

Click image for greater clarity

As the newly formed Climate Justice Alliance, which organised the event, put it:

2019 was the year the climate crisis became impossible to ignore for millions.
Now savage fires are devastating peoples' lives, water shortages are pushing many towns to crisis point, millions have endured weeks or months of hazardous air quality, and over a billion native animals have been killed.
Yet Morrison still refuses to accept the reality of climate change, wrecked the global climate negotiations in December 2019, and doesn't want to pay the people fighting the fires or expand resources for fire fighting.

Even 'quiet Australians' are speaking out, as was evidenced by the numbers at this protest. And on a glorious afternoon, as we listened to the speakers, many participants took the opportunity to display signage highlighting their particular preoccupations:

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

Click image for greater clarity

There were some surprises for me today. The presence of vegans and others concerned about the impact of what we eat on our climate emergency was much more substantial than I had ever noticed before at a rally. I suspect that wildly popular documentaries like The Game Changers and George Monboit's Apocolypse Cow are making a huge impact, encouraging many of us to seriously rethink the environmental impact of our food choices.

Click image for greater clarity

Another surprise was from a speaker for the Unions, whom I believe might have been Luke Hilakari, Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council. (I am sorry, but I didn't catch his name and have been unable to track the speaker down). Luke made the point that the unions are completely onboard with the climate struggle and appreciate that they might have to break new draconian laws in the process. He also emphasised that climate justice and workers rights are 'one struggle, one fight'. Finally he stressed that the union movement is utterly opposed to the substitution of nuclear power for coal, which I hadn't realised and was very pleased to hear.

The final surprise made me laugh. I was taking pictures of the Grandmothers for Climate Action, and admiring their fine yellow corflutes, when Felicia (below left), said that there was a story behind those signs. Apparently after Clive Palmer's expensive yellow 'Make Australia Great' billboards did not win him a singe seat in the last election, he abandoned them in the street. Felicia's daughter, obviously an ardent recycler, collected them and presented them to her mother. Felicia and her team-mates have transformed them into signs for a campaign that really does have merit. So thank you, Clive Palmer, for helping the cause! 

Click image for greater clarity

There were lots of rebels, young and not-so-young at this event, all lending their weight to this terrific Australia-wide initiative.

Click image for greater clarity