More than 350 activists participated in the Sydney Stop Adani Summit on September 2.
Participants came from a range of organisations. Some were part of the Stop Adani Alliance, which includes the Bob Brown Foundation, the Australian Conservation Foundation, 350.org, GetUp!, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, Sea Shepherd and the Australian Marine Conservation Society.
Others represented activist groups, such as Galilee Blockade, Friends of the Earth, Frontline Action on Coal and a number of burgeoning local grassroots groups. There were also many individuals who just wanted to be more involved in the growing movement to prevent the Adani mine from proceeding.
Summits were held in August in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, and Yeppoon. Summits will also be held in Brisbane on September 10 and Port Macquarie on September 16. No date has been set for a Melbourne summit.
The opening session in Sydney consisted of keynote speakers including Bob Brown and key activists who outlined Adani’s plans and the actions to date to disrupt them.
Speakers revealed Adani’s 5-point plan: announcing to the media that the project is on track; a show of government support; seeking international financial support; beating indigenous opposition; and securing a $1 billion loan from the Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund for a rail link.
The opposition movement also has a 5-point plan: stopping the NAIF loan; exposing Adani’s shonky track record; growing the movement; solidarity with first nations; and ending bi-partisan support.
Group workshopping produced concrete actions to progress these plans. Galilee Blockade Sydney will focus on the Sydney office of Downer, which is the firm likely to commence construction. Galilee Blockade Brisbane has been blockading Downer’s two Brisbane outlets, leading to a series of arrests. Other local groups have and will continue to target local MPs, Prime Minster Malcolm Turnbull and shadow infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese.
Frontline Action on Coal is planning a week of training and action for local activists from September 16 to 23 in the Whitsunday Region.
The next major action for the Stop Adani campaign is a National Day of Action on October 7. In Sydney this will involve a massive photo opportunity at 10am at Bondi Beach. It is planned that thousands of people will spell out a Stop Adani message, which will be photographed from the air. A similar action will take place in an inner west suburban park later in the day.
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