Several hundred people attended climate organisation Rising Tide鈥檚 (RT) Action Camp, from August 15鈥17, at the Addison Road Community Centre on Gadigal Country/Sydney.
A People鈥檚 Supper opened the weekend, followed by live music and contributions facilitated by Suhasini Gunatillaka and Peta Cox.
First Nations group Blak Caucus activist Elizabeth Jarrett, Palestine Justice Movement Sydney co-founder Ahmed Abadla and Rising Tide Sydney organiser Zack Schofield addressed the opening session on 鈥淗ow to Practice Solidarity鈥.
It is our collective human duty to protest this oppressive system. As First Nations people, we are trying to save our legacy. We are all one race 鈥 human,鈥 Jarrett said.
Abadla urged those present to help in the struggle to dismantle Israel, 鈥渨hich is based on a system of colonial oppression, just like South Africa under Apartheid鈥. He said sanctions on Israel are an 鈥渋mportant means to that end鈥.
RT鈥檚 Jasmine Stuart and Leonie McNamara explored the climate group鈥檚 strategy in another session. They said it includes building a 鈥減owerful, non-violent movement to stop coal and gas corporations from destroying our planet鈥.
RT aims to cancel all new fossil fuel projects, tax fossil fuel export profits at聽78% to fund community and industrial transition and pay for climate loss and damage and end all coal exports from Newcastle 鈥 the world鈥檚 largest coal port 鈥 by 2030.
RT organised major mobilisations at Newcastle Port in 2023 and last year, the latter drawing thousands of climate activists from across the country.
Other sessions included a briefing on the coal industry, with Tim Buckley from Climate Energy Finance and Nic Clyde from Lock the Gate.
Maritime Union of Australia Sydney organiser Shane Reside addressed a session on August 17, stressing the importance of 鈥渂etter coordinating the struggles of unions with social movements like RT鈥 to build political and industrial power.
鈥淲e also need to win workers in fossil fuel industries, like coal and gas, to support the campaign for a just transition to renewable energy projects, which will create the jobs of the future,鈥 Reside said.
Anastasia, from Legal Observers NSW, facilitated a Resisting Repression workshop, which included a film about banned British direct action group Palestine Action, How to Kill a War Machine.
The weekend concluded with a concert featuring Kings of Joy and rap performers and poetry. Dozens of volunteers, including Food Not Bombs, ensured the weekend鈥檚 events were a success.
On August 18, RT organised a chalk-up protest 鈥淣o to Genocide, Yes to Protest鈥 outside NSW Parliament.
The camp set some ambitious plans for the聽November 27鈥揇ecember 2 Newcastle blockade, which City of Newcastle councillors agreed to support on August 12.
[For more information and to get involved, visit聽.]