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Source: Reuters -
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Twenty-three environmental activists have been charged with rail safety offences after they chained themselves to a coal train and rail tracks near NSW's Newcastle Port.
The activists have been charged with 45 offences, including going on to or remaining on a running line at a railway crossing, police say.
They will appear before Newcastle Local Court on January 19.
The action, organised by Rising Tide environmental group, was carried out in protest at the outcome of Copenhagen's climate talks.
Aimed at shutting down coal export operations at Newcastle, the world's largest coal port, the stand-off lasted for six hours before the protesters were removed by police and arrested at around 3pm (AEDT).
Around 25 activists marched onto the tracks about 9am (AEDT), occupying a bridge and stopping trains from entering the Kooragang coal export terminal.
Rising Tide spokesman Steve Phillips said the protest was an act of desperation after the UN climate summit failed to produce a just, effective and legally binding treaty.
"The US, Australia and other wealthy countries wrecked the talks," Phillips told AAP.
"People are tired of seeing our leaders fail to address to problem of climate change - we want to undertake bold and long-lasting action."
Phillips said two people chained themselves to a stopped train and four were tied to the tracks during Sunday's blockade.
Police began to remove and arrest the protesters about midday, using angle grinders to cut through the chains, he said.
A sixth person sat atop a large wooden tripod erected on the line and large banners reading `Greed wrecked Copenhagen: Now it's up to us all', and `You could have done something great' were hung at the site. Mr Phillips hailed the day a success and threatened further action if governments "continue to fail to solve the climate crisis".
"We are now putting world leaders on notice that the longer they fail on this issue, the more action like this will occur," he said.
The climate change summit was widely criticised after world leaders put forward a deal aimed at limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius.
But it's not clear if the five-page deal can achieve that goal because it contains no targets to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions blamed for climate change - and the deal is not binding.
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