Yep, I got arrested trying to block a coal ship in the world’s largest coal port and I’m proud as fuck, give all your love to the protest organisers. I’ve talked about it a ton over in this thread (and a few others in similar communities). I was joined by a handful of other people, including a student doctor who is in this photo but hard to see, she’s on my right in the shade. She’s so damn brave and a huge inspiration.
This took place at the People’s Blockade, an annual “protestival” organised by a group called Rising Tide.
I’m the (misgendered 😡) 27 year old in this article.
170 people then set a new record for the largest civil disobedience action in Australian history the following day, they’re all incredibly brave people who have had enough.
We fought the government in court and won the right to protest against the fossil fuel corporations who are burning our children’s futures. We also fight to secure the future jobs of the workers in these industries, demanding a 78% tax on current fossil fuel projects to help them in the transition to a renewable future.
It’s been a long few days, I’ve just arrived home about half an hour ago. Goodnight.
What have you done?
Got an engineering degree, and work in the power industry.
What did OP getting arrested accomplish beyond ruining their chance to get a good job in the future?
I didn’t commit a violent act or anything, my job is fine. And hey, if it’s not and my current employer lets me go, I’ll be fine, there are plenty of places I could apply to without issues. But thankyou for your concern, friend.
I was very well prepared for this and new exactly what I was risking.
We had a planned set of goals, and most where achieved. We had hoped to actually block the coal ship from departing even for a short time, but we didn’t really manage that.
If you weren’t doing anything stupid, then why did you and two other people get arrested out of the hundreds of people there? It sounds like you were putting people in danger so they had to arrest you to prevent something bad from happening.
The police narrative has been all about safety, but it’s honestly been a huge lie. At no point was I or anyone else in any danger, everything I did was well planned. There wasn’t even a ship in the channel at the time and it wasn’t possible for me to put anyone else in danger, that’s a conscious decision you have to make for yourself as the channel is a fair way from the shore.
The arrest happened because we paddled out into the shipping channel and deliberately disobeyed a lawful order.
Police exist to protect the private interests of the wealthy, they were not there for anyone’s actual safety. There was a safety team out on the water as part of the protest, and they’re doing a far better job than the police ever have. In all honesty the police are the biggest safety risk to us, I’ve seen images of people being handled very roughly and I watched them manhandle an elderly man from the boat in this photo.
This protest has run for 13 years now and every year except this one we’ve been allowed to sit in the channel for a few dozen hours without incident. The government wants business as usual and we had no intention of allowing that.
I’ll ask honestly, do you think that everything the government does is for the good and the safety of the people? The police, especially so?
I think there is a right and wrong way to make change happen, and bragging about being arrested is childish.
Well, it sure doesn’t happen in a voting booth. Otherwise I’d be enjoying some great renewable energy right now instead of talking to you using coal and gas while I watch the world burning around me.
People share cool stuff they’ve done on here all the time, and this was one I did. It doesn’t make me special or anything and it seems like a lot of people enjoy hearing about it, so I figured I’d spread the word around.
We’ll almost definitely have to do this again next year and we need all the support we can get.
Civil disobedience gave us our ability to exist as trans people. Marsha P. Johnson was arrested over 100 times just for being trans in public. Laws do not dictate ethics.
✊
God what a fucking powerful icon she was, the fact that she was willing to risk custody before the police were required to show basic decency to trans people gave me strength to go out there.
I was lucky to be able to speak to a number of trans people who’ve been arrested before I went out, there are so many stories of bravery and passion in our community.
I say this sincerely Kit, and without an ounce of joy. You’re being an asshole on the internet. If that’s not who you want to be, I recommend talking to somebody irl and taking some time off social media.
The other possibilities are that you’re a conservative or just fed up with seeing people try to save us from damaging the climate further. in which case, there’s nothing I can say that would help.
Regardless of whether or not you consider what I said, I hope you have a good holiday season.
And to the protester who just got home. You’re a fuckin real one. Thanks for working towards a better future, and I hope you enjoy some well earned rest. 👊🫡
💚💚💚 Thankyou for your kind words and support, it means so much to everyone who took part.
Some people do have negative reactions to virtually any protest action, and I suppose there’s some misguided if understandable reason behind it. I appreciate you being gentle with this person.
We’ve all been called far far worse things on national television by some very nasty people in positions of power, that’s one way we know we’re being effective.
What would be a right way, then? Civil disobedience has been a vital tool in past social movements, and I read this post more as a call to action, coupled with Sasha processing the day’s events, not bragging.