As the climate crisis intensifies, Australians are demanding action—and many are doing so by taking to the streets, beaches, and waterways. In Newcastle, Rising Tide’s planned “People’s Blockade of the World’s Largest Coal Port” is gearing up to be a bold statement for climate justice. But with the Supreme Court ruling in favour of NSW Police to block the protest from going ahead, a critical question hangs in the air: Is the right to peaceful assembly truly safe in Australia?
The people organising and attending these protests believe in a future where fossil fuel interests don’t overshadow climate justice, and the stakes for that vision couldn’t be higher.
Why the Right to Peaceful Assembly Matters
The right to peaceful assembly is foundational to democracy and justice. From women’s suffrage to environmental protection, peaceful gatherings have always pushed society forward. As Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritter put it, “The right to peaceful assembly is a fundamental pillar of a healthy democracy and a basic right of all Australians.” When police challenge climate protests in court, it’s more than a bureaucratic move—it’s a step toward silencing public voices.
Australia’s tradition of public assembly is rooted in the belief that change requires showing up and speaking out. Ritter added, “From women’s rights to vote to worker’s rights, so much of what we take for granted today was won by people coming together to take a stand against injustice, discrimination and environmental destruction..” The stakes may feel high for those who want to peacefully assemble, but this is exactly what a democracy should encourage.
The People’s Blockade: Rising Tide’s Mission
Rising Tide’s “People’s Blockade” is set to be one of the most significant climate uprisings in Australian history. The Blockade in Newcastle will be followed by an occupation on the lawns of Parliament house in Canberra. The whole event will run from Tuesday 19th November until Thursday 28th. Thousands of people will paddle into the port on kayaks and rafts, halting coal exports in a vivid demonstration for climate action.
Why Newcastle? The Symbolism of the World’s Largest Coal Port
For many, Newcastle isn’t just a city; it’s a symbol of the coal industry’s grip on Australia. Exporting 165 million tons of coal a year on average, the port is a powerful reminder of Australia’s role as the world’s third-largest fossil fuel exporter. Rising Tide’s choice to protest in Newcastle emphasises the urgent need for a just energy transition, especially in areas where coal exports are a primary economic force.
As Ritter emphasised, “Coal, oil, and gas are the key drivers of climate change, fuelling worsening bushfires, storms, droughts, and heatwaves in Australia, costing us billions, harming our health, taking lives and jeopardising peoples’ livelihoods.” The damage is already here, and peaceful protests like Rising Tide’s are an expression of Australians’ deep concern for their land, their communities, and their future.
Key Demands of Rising Tide’s People’s Blockade:
- Immediate Cancellation of New Fossil Fuel Projects: The blockade advocates for a complete halt on new coal, oil, and gas projects.
- Tax on Fossil Fuel Export Profits: Rising Tide is calling for a 78% tax on fossil fuel profits to fund the transition of local communities and industries toward sustainable solutions.
- End Coal Exports from Newcastle by 2030: Newcastle’s port, the largest coal export port in the world, is at the center of Rising Tide’s call to phase out coal exports entirely by 2030.
Rising Tide’s mission is to spark serious climate action, but the blockade also aims to give people a voice and place in this fight. As David Ritter noted, “As the world’s third largest fossil fuel exporter, Australia is a major driver of the climate crisis. Peaceful assembly to call on governments to accelerate the transition away from climate-wrecking fossil fuels is legitimate and valuable. Greenpeace Australia Pacific stands with all peaceful climate defenders who are advocating for real climate action.”
NSW Police and the Crackdown on Protest Rights
NSW police have been putting up barriers—literally and legally—to climate protests, and the Newcastle blockade is no exception. Citing safety concerns, police have taken Rising Tide to court, and won, arguing the protest should not be allowed. But this is not the first time police have tried to clamp down on climate activists.
Zack Schofield, one of the organisers, explained that Rising Tide “approached the police in good faith,” only to be met with resistance. “We’re really disappointed that New South Wales Police has chosen to use the resources of the supreme court to attempt to challenge this community-positive, family-friendly climate [event] in again, the hottest year on record.”
The situation in NSW speaks to a larger trend of targeting climate protesters, with civil rights organisations stepping in to criticise the government’s actions. “This attempt by NSW Police is another example of the continuing crackdown on people exercising their right to freedom of assembly in NSW,” said Amnesty International’s Nikita White. “Peaceful protests, including non-violent direct actions, are how people create change and make the world a better place.”
Greenpeace Stands with Climate Defenders
Greenpeace Australia Pacific has thrown its full support behind Rising Tide and every Australian who chooses to stand up for the environment. “Large numbers of Australians gathering in Newcastle expressing their deep concern about the damage being caused by the coal industry should be welcomed for what it is – people caring deeply about the future of our country and the safety of our children.” says Ritter.
The people organising and attending these protests are Australians who are committed to ensuring a safe future for all. Greenpeace sees these gatherings as part of a broader movement for climate justice and a necessary action when faced with the destructive impacts of fossil fuels. Peaceful protests amplify voices and bring attention to the urgent need for change.
The Importance of Peaceful Assembly for Climate Justice
- A Voice Against Environmental Injustice: Peaceful protest lets communities speak out on policies that threaten their health and environment.
- Historical Precedent for Social Change: From voting rights to environmental protection, peaceful assemblies have historically driven meaningful advancements.
- A Check on Government and Corporate Power: Protests shine a light on pressing issues like fossil fuel dependence, issues that governments and corporations might otherwise ignore.
- Public Solidarity in Times of Crisis: Coming together for a cause shows unity and can inspire a broader public movement for change.
This November, Australians paddling out into Newcastle’s waters are not just blocking coal exports—they’re embodying a vision for a fairer, more sustainable world. The People’s Blockade may face challenges, but its message will resonate long after the kayaks are back on shore. In standing with climate defenders, Greenpeace and countless Australians are showing that the right to peaceful assembly is alive and well, and it remains a crucial part of building a just and liveable future.
No new fossil fuels
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The Right to Peaceful Assembly: Defending Rising Tide’s Climate Action in Newcastle
Climate Change
DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed.
An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change.
This week
Bonn talks close
‘SIDE-STEPPING AND STALLING’: UN climate talks in Bonn have ended in “gridlock”, according to Climate Home News. The outlet reported on the failure to balance developing countries’ need for climate-adaptation finance with “richer nations’ desire to move forward” on emissions cuts. It added that both topics were subject to “rule 16”, meaning no agreement could be reached and work will be pushed to the COP31 summit in Turkey. Inside Climate News quoted UN climate executive secretary Simon Stiell, who said the talks had seen “side-stepping and stalling”.
JUST TRANSITION: One “glimmer of hope” came from negotiations on achieving a “just transition”, reported Euronews. The news outlet said negotiators “made headway on operationalising the Belém-Antalya mechanism”, intended to support people in the shift to a low-carbon economy. However, Politico concluded that much of the focus in Bonn had “shift[ed] to efforts outside diplomatic talks – raising questions about the future of global climate negotiations”.
‘ATTACKING SCIENCE’: Agence France-Presse reported on the EU, Switzerland and “dozens of developing nations” warning of “attacks on science” by a “small group of fossil-fuels interests” in Bonn. Table Briefings explained that “the 1.5C target is increasingly being challenged” and the role of the UN climate-science panel – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – in an upcoming assessment of global climate progress “remains controversial”. See Carbon Brief’s full write-up of the talks for more detail.
US-Iran deal
PRICE DROP: The US and Iran announced that they have reached an interim agreement to halt the war and reopen the strait of Hormuz, reported Bloomberg. Oil prices have fallen, as the “long-awaited deal” began the process of “eas[ing]” the global energy crisis triggered by the conflict, according to the New York Times. The Associated Press noted that high fuel prices will “likely outlast the Iran war”.
‘OIL GLUT’: The Financial Times reported that the International Energy Agency (IEA) has forecast a “glut of oil” emerging next year, if the peace deal holds. The IEA said this would allow countries to build new strategic reserves, as they “review their energy strategies and policies in response to the crisis”, according to Reuters.
‘NEW ERA’: Agence France-Presse reported that oil and gas companies have “few illusions about a return to normal for the Gulf energy industry after more than three months of blockage”. One analyst told the newswire that the war “showed the oil and gas industry that Hormuz risk is no longer just a geopolitical headline”.
Around the world
- OCEAN MONITOR: The Trump administration is “abandoning its plan” to dismantle a $368m ocean monitoring system key for tracking climate change after a “bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill”, reported the New York Times.
- CORAL HAVEN: The New York Times covered preliminary research, presented at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya, suggesting there could be three times as many “coral refugia” – where corals are relatively safe from climate change – than previously thought.
- BAD CREDIT: Down to Earth reported that the first carbon credits issued under the Paris Agreement’s new Article 6.4 mechanism are “facing scrutiny over alleged links to institutions controlled by Myanmar’s military junta”.
- OIL BACKTRACK: Reuters reported that oil-and-gas company Equinor has dropped a renewable-energy target and scaled back clean investments, while another Reuters story noted that Shell is selling off its offshore wind assets.
1.1 billion
The number of children facing “at least three overlapping climate hazards”, according to a new Unicef report covered by Agence France-Presse.
Latest climate research
- Including the “permafrost carbon-climate feedback” in climate models increases the chance of exceeding “tipping elements” – such as the Greenland ice sheets, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or Amazon rainforest – by up to 50% | Environmental Research Letters
- The intensity of influenza outbreaks could decline in temperate regions, but increase in tropical areas over the next century, as the climate warms | PNAS Nexus
- European snow cover has declined by 20% for December and January since the start of the industrial era, revealing an “unprecedented ongoing shrinkage of European winters” | Communications Earth & Environment
(For more, see Carbon Brief’s in-depth daily summaries of the top climate news stories on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.)
Captured
The more than 2m battery electric vehicles (BEVs), 1m “plug-in” hybrids (PHEVs) and 100,000 electric vans on UK roads are already saving drivers a total of around £3bn a year, according to new Carbon Brief analysis. This amounts to savings of more than £1,100 a year in fuel costs for each BEV driver in the UK. The analysis comes amid reports in UK media this week that the government is considering “watering down” its EV sales targets.
Spotlight
Oceans rising at UN climate talks
The state of the world’s oceans is inextricably linked to the changing climate – and many delegates at UN climate talks want to see more focus on this issue, reports Carbon Brief.
Oceans are often described as the world’s “greatest ally” against climate change – absorbing 30% of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and most of the heat generated by those emissions.
They are also the site of important climate solutions, such as huge offshore windfarms and the shipping industry’s transition to cleaner fuels.
At the same time, the oceans themselves present a growing danger to coastal communities and sea life due to sea level rise, marine heatwaves and ocean acidification.
These diverse issues have led to growing calls within the UN climate process for more focus on oceans. During climate negotiations this week in Bonn – known as SB64 – nations and civil society had a chance to air these views during an “ocean and climate change dialogue”.
‘Elevate action’
Oceans first entered UN climate outcomes in 2019, when the final COP25 negotiated text requested a new “dialogue” on “the ocean and climate change to consider how to strengthen mitigation and adaptation action”.
The following years saw this dialogue established as an annual event. However, the political weight of these discussions has been limited.
COP31 is being co-led by Turkey and Australia, but with Pacific islands playing a supporting role. These small islands sometimes self-identify as “large ocean states”, stressing the ocean’s centrality in their societies.
In Bonn, figures from across the presidency threw their weight behind this issue. Chris Bowen, an Australian minister and incoming COP31 “president of negotiations”, told attendees:
“Australia, Turkey and the Pacific see an important opportunity to elevate ocean-based climate action.”
Strategies and finance
The two-day dialogue in Bonn involved a series of panels, statements and breakout groups.
One of the main topics was how oceans are integrated into national climate plans under the Paris Agreement, known as “nationally determined contributions” (NDCs).
Three-quarters of the latest round of NDCs mention oceans, with conservation of “blue carbon” ecosystems the most frequently described action. (Landscapes such as mangroves can both absorb CO2 and protect coastal areas.)
Delegates also discussed alignment with the UN biodiversity process, as well as ocean finance, which currently makes up less than 1% of all climate finance.
(As discussions were taking place in Bonn, country officials also gathered in Mombasa, Kenya for the 11th Our Ocean Conference. Carbon Brief’s associate editor Giuliana Viglione attended the conference and will publish a full summary shortly.)
Developing countries were clear that many of the ocean-related actions in their NDCs would depend on receiving more financial support.
‘Political momentum’
With the backing of the COP31 presidency, delegates were hopeful about where this year’s dialogue could lead.
Charles Hamilton, an advisor for the Bahamas who spoke for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in the dialogue, told Carbon Brief that island representatives “are not traveling thousands of miles to just talk and pat ourselves on the back”. He added:
“A dialogue that just remains a dialogue is just more talk – no action.”
Given that, he said “discussions in the dialogue must move into COP decisions and the decisions must be actioned”, noting the importance of finance.
Marina Corrêa, oceans lead at WWF-Brazil, pointed to an upcoming UN climate change Standing Committee on Finance forum as a space to ramp up pressure on ocean finance.
More broadly, she wanted to see the presidencies translate their support into a “leader-level ocean initiative” that could “mainstream” oceans across negotiations.
“We have a really interesting opportunity, in terms of political momentum,” Corrêa told Carbon Brief.
Watch, read, listen
‘HOTTER THAN HELL’: An episode of the BBC’s Rare Earth podcast titled “hotter than hell” considered the issue of extreme heat, with input from experts and “people facing up to the hottest temperatures on the planet”.
NOT BROKEN?: John Drake, a professor of ecology at the University of Georgia, wrote an essay for Aeon – also re-published as a Guardian “long read” – questioning the framing of ecosystems and climate systems “breaking down”.
ON COURSE: On his Volts podcast, US climate journalist David Roberts interviewed UK climate minister Katie White, quizzing her about whether the UK will “stay the course with its climate plans”.
Coming up
- 20-28 June: London climate action week
- 21 June: Colombia presidential runoff
- 24 June: UK Climate Change Committee progress in reducing emissions 2026 report to parliament
Pick of the jobs
- Mongabay, managing editor – Africa | Salary: Unknown. Location: Global
- Contexte, environment reporter – Brussels | Salary: €45,000-€60,000. Location: Brussels
- Climate 200, communications director | Salary: Unknown. Location: Australia
- Energy Tracker Asia, energy transition correspondent | Salary: $3,000-$4,000 per month. Location: South-east Asia (remote)
DeBriefed is edited by Daisy Dunne. Please send any tips or feedback to debriefed@carbonbrief.org.
This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s weekly DeBriefed email newsletter. Subscribe for free here.
The post DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations appeared first on Carbon Brief.
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DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations
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