Two climate activists who had been blockading container trains in Port Botany for three days were told on March 24 their visas were cancelled. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke told Radio 2GB he decided to cancel the visas of “two non-citizens” “on good order grounds”. The two are detained, awaiting deportation to Germany.
A Blockade Australia spokesperson condemned the government for “draconian overreach” and called for the decision to be reversed, for the activists to be released and for freedom for all refugees “detained in concentration camps run by Australia”.
Alex Pearse, who suspended himself from a monopole blocking all trains running to and from the Port of Botany on March 24, said: “Australia is a rigged system, doing exactly what it was designed to do: exploit people and extract resources.”
Pearse, an environmental scientist, said he was taking direct action because “without a halt to business as usual there will be no true change”. “No matter what party, no matter what policies, self-preservation and the protection of the ruling class is what Australia does best.”
A Blockade Australia spokesperson said the government’s efforts to stop the climate activists will not work.
“Australia is internationally recognised for its role in causing and fuelling climate collapse … Activists from across the world continue to call out Australia's response to climate change — a death sentence disguised as action.”
Blockade Australia said it would continue to expose Australia’s role in driving climate collapse.