Front Line
It was just over a year ago that 100 people descended on the Maules Creek Mine construction site. Brave souls climbed the colossal machines of destruction, chaining and locking themselves to render them useless for the day. So began the Leard Blockade biggest convergence yet – Act Up 3.
This milestone for the Leard Blockade made it onto mainstream media channels putting Front Line Action On Coal on the the radar and since then we’ve certainly kept their attention. 82 people were arrested that day and since it’s beginning over two years ago the Leard Blockade has seen over 350 people arrested for taking action against the destruction of a forest to make way for a coal mine. The movement has built to such extremes that over a thousand people invested their time at the blockade and are now dispersed all over Australia.
In December last year 8 people halted the first shipment of coal from the Maules Creek mine by occupying the train for 6 hours in Newcastle, not only halting Whitehavens coal but all coal shipments on the major line through the Hunter Valley.
Now 43 people are traveling back to maules Creek to face court this week. Of them are those brave people who occupied the site last March as well as others who took action way back in 2013 up untill now. This diverse bunch range in ages from 20 to 70 and include an astrophysicist, disability support worker, photographer, zoologist, archaeologist and a doctor.
These people put their bodies on the line and have sacrificed their time to create change – so send all your love and support to these incredible humans by making some noise on social media or sending some money love to supply camp for the week via our donate page: www.leard.frontlineaction.org/donate