30 Pacific Climate Warriors to Blockade Newcastle Coal Port TOMORROW
NEWCASTLE, 16 October 2014 — Thirty Pacific Climate Warriors from 12 different nations will be joined by hundreds of Australians in a blockade of the Newcastle Coal Port tomorrow, Friday 17 October.
The Pacific Climate Warriors will send a strong message to the fossil fuel industry and Australian Government that Pacific Islanders will fight against their radical plans to increase coal and gas exports — plans that will spell destruction for their islands.
Details:
When: Friday 17th October, 9:00am – 5:30pm
9:00am: Welcome ceremony
10:00am: Boats launched into water
5:30pm: Boats return from water.
Where: Horseshoe Beach, Newcastle. Map here.
Media opportunities: Climate Warriors will be available all day for interviews to discuss the impacts of climate change on their islands and why they have decided to take this action. Media boats will be available for journalists to do interviews and take photos/footage on the water.
Images:
Hi-resolution photos, video and background images (climate impacts in the Pacific, earlier stops in the Warrior’s tour, etc.) will be/are available for media during the day at:
http://www.reru.com.au/
Background:
30 Pacific Climate Warriors have traveled from 12 countries to take part in the Newcastle blockade and a speaking tour of Australia to discuss the climate change impacts that are already being felt in their homelands.
Speaking at the arrival of the Pacific Warriors Milañ Loeak of the Marshall Islands, daughter of the country’s President Christopher Loeak said: “It’s important for us as people from the Marshall Islands to take action because our islands mean everything to us.”
“Who else will stand up and fight for our people and our islands and culture? When will we be assured that we can continue to live without continuously fearing for the future and that of our children, grandchildren and our islands?”
“Climate change is not an issue that the Marshall Islands or Tokelau or any other island in the Pacific should be doing alone because this is a global problem. None of us who have felt the impacts of climate change should continue to suffer through them just to fulfil others’ interests. It’s wrong and it simply doesn’t work that way,” concluded Milañ.
More information is available at http://350.org/warriors. A media kit is attached to this release.