SYDNEY: Eleven protesters from environmental group Greenpeace were arrested on Sunday as they carried out a stunt over global warming to mark a major regional summit, a spokeswoman said.
The 11 were involved in the protest off the port of Newcastle, north of Sydney, about Australian coal exports and the effect on greenhouse gases when they were detained at the waterfront. Newcastle is a major port for Australian coal exports.
Greenpeace campaigner Ben Pearson said the protest consisted of three small boats at dawn going up to a ship and painting an anti-coal slogan reading "Australia pushing export coal" on the side in two-metre high white letters.
They also unfurled a banner in Chinese urging Beijing not to trust Australia and the United States on climate change. Australia and the United States are the only major countries not to have signed the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Pearson said local police carried out the arrests and a special security task force involved with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Sydney later became involved.
All 11 protesters were taken to a police station in Newcastle and it appeared likely at least one would be charged, Pearson said, adding the most likely charge was malicious damage.
"Eleven people have been taken back to the police station," Pearson said. "We are not sure yet if they are going to be charged. It looks likely one will."
Pearson added that Greenpeace would likely be carrying out further protests during the APEC summit, which runs through all of this week
