More than 100 climate protesters have been arrested after allegedly disobeying police orders as they temporarily closed a major shipping channel in Newcastle.

The protest, organized by activist group Rising Tide, was held this weekend at the city’s port.

Police said Sunday that a large group of people entered a shipping channel and obstructed the movement of vessels.

The Ports Authority of New South Wales has now suspended all shipping.

According to police, 138 people were arrested after refusing to obey orders to move away from the canal.

The group, which organized the large, multi-day protest, said a coal ship forced to stay at dock was a victory.

Police say they have “a zero-tolerance approach to actions that threaten public safety and the safe passage of vessels.”

A NSW Ports Authority spokesperson said all shipments had been suspended.

More than 100 protesters who took part in the Rising Tide demonstration have been arrested in Newcastle (photo)

Climate protesters were arrested after failing to comply with a police directive to clear the shipping channel in Newcastle Harbor (photo of police confronting protesters)

“In consultation with NSW Police and stakeholders, a risk-based decision has been made to temporarily suspend shipments,” the spokesperson said.

“The protest activity compromised the safety of the navigation channel and led to an unacceptable potential risk to public safety, the port and the environment.”

The images show around 150 people holding anti-coal signs, dressed in bright colors, paddling the canal in kayaks.

Officers in inflatable police boats and jet skis were seen dragging protesters into the police boat.

New South Wales laws make it illegal to obstruct the safe passage of a vessel.

The police are not asking anyone else to block the navigation channel.

“Any illegal activity may result in fines or imprisonment,” police said in a statement.

“New South Wales Police will take a zero-tolerance approach to actions that threaten public safety and the safe passage of vessels.”

There were about 150 people holding anti-coal signs and paddling the canal in kayaks. Police used jetskis and police boats to arrest protesters (photo of protesters gathering at Newcastle Harbour)

A spokeswoman for protest organizers Rising Tide said in a video that protesters were jubilant about disrupting the ships.

“We blocked the largest coal port in the world,” said the spokesperson, named Alexa in the caption.

“The atmosphere here on the beach is simply incredible. Everyone is so excited, so excited and so hopeful.

The attempt to block the ship was part of a 10-day “protest” organized by climate activist group Rising Tide, which saw thousands descend on the world’s largest coal port.

Midnight Oil frontman and former Labor MP Peter Garrett performed at the protest with his bandmate, guitarist Martin Rotsey.

“Is the real threat to the Hunter region a group of citizens exercising their democratic rights or the continued export of materials that will burn the world in a furnace? » Garrett said.

Thousands of people attended the demonstration (photo)

Last year, more than 100 people were arrested during the event, which organizers said was the largest civil disobedience for climate justice in Australian history.

Earlier this month, NSW Police launched proceedings in the NSW Supreme Court to have the protest deemed unauthorized on security grounds.

Justice Desmond Fagan ruled in favor of the NSW Police and banned the planned protests on land and water.

But Rising Tide said they retain the right to peaceful assembly.

Maritime NSW attempted to create an exclusion zone around Newcastle Harbour, but this decision was overturned following a successful Supreme Court challenge by Rising Tide.

Newcastle City Mayor Dr Ross Kerridge released a statement earlier this month supporting the event being held at Camp Shortland, provided event organizers tell people to stay away from the navigation channel.