The anti-Adani Galilee Blockade says it has more than 9,000 people throughout Australia willing to train to safely occupy work sites, chain themselves to machinery and clog phone lines. And to expect being tried and imprisoned. From the movement’s website: We’ve already started connecting people into local action groups around the country. The next step is to train as many of the 9,000+ people registered for non-violent direct action as want it. This is serious business and needs to be done well so actions are safe and effective.
Through our direct action campaign, activists can stay
in their own city/region and still target Adani, their major
contractors, possible financiers and key political supporters. That is, they
can help stop these ecocidal projects in their own city/region.
The Galilee Blockade campaign will entail:
- Grassroots groups undertaking local direct action against these ecocidal companies and organisations. Anywhere in the world they operate. These groups will be offered strategic, legal, promotional and other support by activist networks.
- Planning for the possibility of direct action or a blockade in the Galilee Basin. We will only promote or be involved in direct actions in the Galilee Basin if requested by the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners Family Council, who are protecting their country. Wangan and Jagalingou are the Traditional Owners of a vast area of land in central-western Queensland encompassing the Galilee Basin. For thousands of years, they have been custodians of their homelands, as have the Juru people on the Reef coast.
- Building the capacity of the environment movement to undertake direct actions and be involved in blockades.
- Building a base of human, logistical and financial resources to quickly support direct action and blockades as needed.
- The campaign has detailed information on all the potential mining projects, and locations of the companies and organisations involved. Projects closest to financial closure and legal approval will be targeted as a matter of priority. This starts with the biggest proposed coal mining project in Australia, Adani’s huge Carmichael Mine.
- This campaign does not condone, and will not publicise, any direct actions that put human or non-human animals in harm’s way. Campaign communications aim to engage more activists locally, nationally and internationally to undertake effective and necessary direct action.
Register here for action and follow us on social media for real-time updates. Together we will win!
The activists say the mining contractor Downer Group is the “prime target” of its civil disruption campaign to force it to walk away from the AUD 2bn
deal to build and run Adani’s proposed Queensland coalmine.
Galilee Blockade organisers warn
that members of their network will occupy work sites, chain themselves to
machinery and clog phone lines, among other actions that will cost Downer money
until it exits a non-binding contract over the contentious site.
The protest group, which differentiates itself from a growing number of
anti-Adani campaigns by vowing to engage in “direct action” that will result in
mass arrests, considers that the size and scope of Downer’s operations make it
especially vulnerable.
“Work for Adani to Save the Reef!” says a call on
the website. “Big Coal regularly attempts to
infiltrate environment groups. We’re going to infiltrate them back! Adani
is asking people to register their interest in an Adani ‘career’. We want you to apply!
“We need Adani employees who care more about Aboriginal homelands, the Reef, and the Great Artesian Basin than extra profit for multi-billionaire Gautam Adani.
“Of course if the Galilee Blockade campaign gets inside information on Adani and their friends, we’ll use direct action tactics to stop them.”
Register to work for Adani now!
Do you know anyone who works for a public relations firm, lobbying firm, or political party that deals with Adani? Do you know about an Adani event that’s not public? Are they attending a political fundraiser or mining industry event? Do you know whether Adani have donated more money to Labor or the LNP? One Nation or Katter Australia Party maybe?
Please contact us here with what you know.
We will protect your identity, seek legal support, and send information to the appropriate authorities if Adani is breaking the law. We’re gearing up around the country for direct action. Donate what you can now so we can professionally train people around the nation. Together we will win.
It is likely that people will be arrested all around Australia for protecting the Great Barrier Reef and Galilee Basin through direct action.
Lawyers are needed to represent these people pro bono. Please contact us to volunteer your services. Thanks!
Kicking off the campaign, a group of Brisbane grandparents occupied Queensland Labor head office for 10 hours on Monday. Prepared with food and bedding, they vowed to stay until Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (Labor) signed a legal letter rejecting the proposed $1bn loan to Adani.
Under the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Act, the Queensland government can provide “written notification that financial assistance should not be provided to a project”. The Grandparents for The Galilee personally delivered a legal letter for Annastacia Palaszczuk to sign and send to the NAIF board.
Both the Queensland Labor State Secretary and the Queensland Council of Unions General Secretary were called to negotiate/deal with the grandparents. The grandparents didn’t budge, demanding the Premier sign the letter to the NAIF board.
Queensland Labor were reluctant to call the police, especially with TV news doing live crosses and media photographers waiting. However, they were happy to hire security who blocked off the grandparents’ access to toilets and supporters. One security guard regularly threatened to drag the grandparents away, threatened to take away bedding and provisions, and man-handled grandparents on 2 different occasions.
Towards midnight we decided to call the police ourselves as the grandparent occupiers were feeling unsafe with the behaviour of the security guard. The occupation ended after 10 hours with vows to return soon.
All the grandparents involved remember when Australians stood up to save the Daintree, to save Fraser Island, including getting arrested. What makes the ALP think people won’t stand up and do what’s necessary to protect the Reef?
This action was the start of a massive civil resistance. Over 9,000 people have committed to direct action against Adani and their friends. Over 2,000 of them are grandparents who will fight tooth and nail for their kids and grandkids.
Share a rocking video here. Join the resistance. Donate now so we can train citizens of all ages in non-violent direct action. Together we will win!
Previous coverage:
With the UN Special Rapporteur on the right of Indigenous People
The Rapporteur was respectful and attentive, and will seek to address our concerns when she meets with Labor representatives later this week.
We raised the Native Title amendments, Adani's persistent interference with our self-determination, and the failures of the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments to uphold numerous Indigenous rights under international law. We also talked about the lack of mandate from Traditional Owners around the country for the Native Title Council to sign away our rights.
We told her that the Australian Government, as a signatory to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, is failing to honour its commitments.
We had written to the Rapporteur a couple of weeks ago ahead of her visit to update her on the developments since we had first raised our concerns in October 2015.
Many of you have been responding to our weekend request to write to Labor leader Bill Shorten and Shadow Attorney General Mark Dreyfus.
This is our last chance before they vote on our rights. Please let them know today, loud and clear, that you want Labor to change their minds and vote against the Government’s bill.
Remember to Cc Senator Pat Dodson, a leading figure in the Senate Committee and Labor caucus on the Bill. And copy the UN Rapporteur, via us, so we can share your support for us with her during this week, as she completes her mission in Australia.
Send your messages to -
Bill.Shorten.MP@aph.gov.au
Mark.Dreyfus.MP@aph.gov.au
And Cc Senator Pat Dodson, and the UN Special Rapporteur (via us) -
senator.dodson@aph.gov.au
UN-SR-IP-via@wanganjagalingou.com.au
We can give this one last push, and make sure they know we’re here to witness how they treat our rights.
Thanks again for your support,
Adrian Burragubba & Murrawah Johnson
for the Wangan & Jagalingou Traditional Owners Council
P.S. Please donate what you can to assist with our UN engagement, our on-going fights in the courts, and to sustain our public campaign.
3-day youth climate justice summit in Melbourne
Young people are being screwed over in so many ways - our generation faces a broken political system, racism, inequality, student debt, and the climate crisis. But we can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and wait this one out.
That’s why this July AYCC and Seed are hosting Power Shift, a 3-day youth climate justice summit to supersize our campaigns to keep fossil fuels in the ground and speed up the transition to 100% renewables.
Power Shift is back!
Power Shift will bring together young people from all walks of life to learn, grow, and get fired up to take action to solve the climate crisis. Don’t miss out on Power Shift in Melbourne from the 22nd - 24th of July. Register here.
Sometimes it feels like the problems of the world seem so big, and you feel small. But we’re not small, we’re powerful. At Power Shift you’ll get skills, connections, toolkits and hope to fight back in the war against young people.
There’ll be speakers, performances, dance parties and skill shares to get you fired up about climate justice.
Together we’ll make a plan for how we Stop Adani from building a dangerous coal mine in North Queensland that will destroy the Reef and our climate. And work together to stop a dangerous fracking pipeline in the NT from destroying water, country and climate.
We’ve done it before. Across the world and here in Australia, Power Shifts have changed lives and political landscapes for the better.
Register now to take advantage of early bird prices here.
Power Shift is run for and by young people (that’s under 30 FYI). If you believe in the power of young people to change the world, you can chip in to make sure cost is not a barrier to young people starting their change making journey. Or you might know a young person who would love Power Shift - send them to https://powershift2017.org.au
You’ll be hearing a lot about Power Shift in the coming months to make sure 1000 young people get the opportunity to take part in this life changing experience.
We’re so pumped for this! ✊
Kirsty, Millie and Riss, on behalf of the AYCC and Seed team
P.S if you've never been to a Power Shift before and you’re not sure what to expect, make sure you check out powershift2017.org.au. If you have been to a Power Shift before, you’re not going to want to miss this one.
Adani mine is the line in the sand
In the battle for the planet's climate future, Australia's Adani mine is the line in the sand.
Australians must decide whether they continue to support coal or whether the future is renewable.
Without a doubt, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will be left on the losing side.
There is nowhere else on the planet right now where the dichotomy between two potential futures – one where we address the climate change crisis, one where we ignore this momentous threat and continue with business as usual – is playing out in such a dramatic and explosive way as Australia.
In the US, Donald Trump is decimating decades of hard-fought environmental and climate standards – it’s all 18th century all the time. But the ageing fossil fuel assets and recent “market failure” of the Australian electricity grid are pushing political leaders to all-out brawling, pitting conservative inaction against the demand for solution-focused action.
Click here for the full Guardian story.