Blockade Australia’s (BA) claims of undertaking “safe protests” to shut down the Hunter rail network have been blasted by the ARTC.
Over the past fortnight, activists were successful in cancelling more than 700 passenger and in excess of 250 bulk and freight services, much to the frustration of local emergency services personnel.
The organisation’s collective campaign, which resulted in two jail sentences – pending appeals – and at least 30 arrests, apparently interrupted the nation’s biggest coal port, Newcastle, for 100 hours, too.
“Blockade Australia protesters have very strict safety protocols,” a spokesperson said.
“They’re a professional and highly-disciplined cohort.
“In the most recent campaign centred around Newcastle, no-one’s been injured.
“Authorities are increasingly bringing up the furphy of injury to the participants, with no evidence what-so-ever of any injury, and no foreseeable prospect of injury.
“They’re trying to justify ever more draconian laws, in an attempt to stop protests that harm no one.
“Ironically enough, these protests are a valiant attempt to avoid real harm to everyone on earth.”
However, as the network returns to usual operations, Blockade Australia’s recent statements couldn’t be further from the truth, according to the Australian Rail Track Corporation.
“Claims made by activists that their actions were ‘safe’ are nonsense,” an ARTC spokesperson said.
“The only people who should be in a live rail corridor are the highly-skilled and trained professionals who practice safety every day.
“The actions of these activists put the lives of the public, rail staff, emergency services and themselves at risk every time they stood in front of a loaded train or erected a monopole.
“ARTC, as the operator of the Hunter Valley network and Australia’s national rail network, urges them to find peaceful and legal ways of getting their message across.
“Putting lives at risk is no way to seek such support.”
The restrictions, originally put in place to ensure the safety of the public, rail staff and the illegal activists themselves, are lifted.
“The past several weeks were disruptive for the travelling public and industry,” the spokesperson said.
“It’s now been deemed safe to run trains again following five nights of no incursions in the rail corridor.”
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