Australia climate change activists disrupt shipping at coal port

FILE PHOTO: A stacker/reclaimer places coal in stockpiles at the coal port in Newcastle June 6, 2012./File Photo

SYDNEY (Reuters): A climate change protest off Australia's east coast disrupted operations at the country's biggest coal export port on Saturday, the port operator said.

Climate activist group Rising Tide, which claimed responsibility for the action, said around 1,500 people were at the protest, 300 of them in the shipping channel near the Port of Newcastle, as part of a 30-hour blockade set to run until 4 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday.