Australia climate change protest disrupts shipping at coal port, 21 arrested

A climate-change protest off Australia's east coast on Sunday disrupted operations at one of the country's biggest coal export ports, prompting 21 arrests, the second protest in two days to disrupt shipping at the Port of Newcastle.



Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the action, said hundreds of activists in kayaks paddled into the shipping lane of Newcastle Harbour on Sunday morning local time.



The port, 170 km (110 miles) north of the state capital Sydney, is the largest bulk shipping port on the east coast of Australia, a nation where climate change is a divisive issue.



"General cargo movements are now being aborted due to the protester disruption," a Port of Newcastle spokesperson said, adding that movements of alumina bound for Australia's largest aluminium smelter, Tomago, were "now being interrupted".



A coal ship was earlier denied entry to the port on safety concerns due to protesters in the water, the spokesperson said.



Police said in a statement that 21 people were arrested and charged on Sunday with "alleged marine-related offences" at the protest.