Contributed from Queensland
Twelve people were arrested yesterday, as a result of the takeover of the Adani headquarters at Eagle Street in Brisbane.
The group had stopped access to the lifts, in order to interfere with the company’s business.
Adani is the company behind the Carmichael coal mine that has aroused so much opposition across Australia. It is mostly owned by Gautam Adani. The mine got government approval less than two weeks ago.
Video from Galilee Blockade
Those fighting the project argue that the go ahead is wrong, because has ignored the science,which makes it clear that it will damage the local water resources, pose a major danger to the Great Barrier Reef, and make a significant contribution to carbon emissions.
The real reason, it is being argued, is the corrupt relationship between the mining industry in general and the political establishment, and in particular, between Adani and the Queensland and Federal governments.
Rather than fading away, the campaign to stop the mine continues with even greater urgency. This is what lies behind the take over of the company headquarters. It lasted for more than three hours.
One of the arrested is a grandmother of four.
Ben Pennings, who is spokesperson for the community group Galilee Blockade, said; “hundreds of Queenslanders got arrested to save Frazer Island and the Daintree Forrest. Thousands will get arrested to protect our climate, the Great Barrier Reef and the Great Artesian Basin.”
He added that “large companies working with Adani risk reputational damage, but also costly protests.
“We will use information we are given to regularly blockade the operations of corporations in bed with Adani.”
Galilee Blockade is encouraging people to ‘Dob Them In’ on is website and help the effort.
Although work on clearing the surface has begun, putting the mine into full operation is still far from a done deal. Even if it does eventually get up and running, there is little chance that the campaign to stop it will come to an end.
I’d like to see a million people on the streets or at the entrance gates to Adani and see how the AFP play that one – Arrest a million Australians! How ridiculous. There’s a very basic rule here the AFP and the Liberals are ignoring. If the law becomes unworkable, it becomes obsolete – One of the foundations of any society not just democracy, long before sensibility, civil rights and democracy are re-established – So eat your heart out Morrison, AFP and the Liberals!