Several hundred people attended climate organisation Rising Tide’s Action Camp, from August 15-17, at the Addison Road Community Centre.
A People’s Supper opened the weekend, followed by live music and contributions facilitated by Suhasini Gunatillaka and Peta Cox.
First Nations group Blak Caucus activist Elizabeth Jarrett, Palestine Justice Movement Sydney co-founder Ahmed Abadla and Rising Tide Sydney organiser Zack Schofield addressed the opening session on “How to Practice Solidarity”.
It is our collective human duty to protest this oppressive system. As First Nations people, we are trying to save our legacy. We are all one race — human,” Jarrett said.
Abadla urged those present to help in the struggle to dismantle Israel, “which is based on a system of colonial oppression, just like South Africa under Apartheid”. He said sanctions on Israel are an “important means to that end”.
RT’s Jasmine Stuart and Leonie McNamara explored the climate group’s strategy in another session. They said it includes building a “powerful, non-violent movement to stop coal and gas corporations from destroying our planet”.
RT aims to cancel all new fossil fuel projects, tax fossil fuel export profits at 78% to fund community and industrial transition, and pay for climate loss and damage, and end all coal exports from Newcastle — the world's largest coal port — by 2030.
RT has organised major mobilisations at Newcastle Port in 2023 and last year, the latter drawing thousands of climate activists from across the country.
Other sessions included a briefing on the coal industry, with Tim Buckley from Climate Energy Finance and Nic Clyde from Lock the Gate.
Shane Reside, Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) Sydney organizer, addressed a session on August 17, stressing the importance “better coordinating the struggles of unions with social movements like RT” to build political and industrial power.
“We also need to win workers in fossil fuel industries, like coal and gas, to support the campaign for a just transition to renewable energy projects, which will create the jobs of the future,” Reside said.
Anastasia, from Legal Observers NSW, facilitated a Resisting Repression workshop which included a film about banned British direct action group Palestine Action, How to Kill a War Machine.
The weekend concluded with a concert featuring Kings of Joy and rap performers and poetry. Dozens of volunteers, including Food Not Bombs, ensured the weekend’s events were a success.
On August 18, RT organised a chalk-up protest “No to Genocide, Yes to Protest” outside NSW Parliament.
The camp set some ambitious plans for the November 27-December 2 Newcastle blockade, which the City of Newcastle councillors agreed to support on August 12.
[For more information and to get involved visit www.risingtide.org.au.]