Hazelwood. Credit: Damian Baker.
By the NewsHooker
The NewsHooker takes us through the second half of his Climate Camp protest weekend in Victoria (photos included).
Our mobile office was set on the double mattress and included laptops, Internet connections, camera gear and a strategically-placed bottle of Drambuie. This was all set up next to the projector screen in what used to be the caravan park barbeque area. Welcome to the Climate Camp Media Centre folks!
The place was a whirl of activity with workshops and meeting taking place all around us, with the usual hum as to what action would take place over the night and discussion of the tactics for the next day. As part of the media crew, it was something we needed to stay abreast of if we were to get the images we wanted.
The Climate Camp caravan park had a lively atmosphere as the cooks prepared dinner at sunset. Billed as a family friendly event to encourage mass civil disobedience in a non-violent fashion, the projector lit up for the kids before bed.
Judging the crowd
Considering last year’s actions in Newcastle that frolicked on over four days and closed the port town down, a response in numbers from the police here in Hazelwood, Victoria was to be expected.
Protestors on the road to Hazelwood. Credit: Damian Baker.
We were told 300 police, 8 dogs, 8 trail bikes, 2 inflatable dinghies, 2 jet skis, a helicopter and infra red cameras covering fence lines were all in place at the power station waiting for us.
However my assessment was that it was a younger, less experienced and I would suggest less radical crew this year. I did get wind that three young guys had planned a banner drop on one of the chimney towers at the power station, so I tracked them down and assured them if they went in, I would be right behind them to capture the images.
It might have been risky business to get back out with the images under such heavy police surveillance but as I investigated the possibilities and worked out the logistics, one of the kids reported to the camp doctor with a case of food poisoning.
Radical action seemed to be withering on the vine; in my experience this was not unusual at such camps as a mixture of cold feet due to inexperience and just bullshit bravado often combined to cost a great of lost activism time in the past.
Not to worry though, these camps are meant to be a learning experience and a fun day would follow regardless of any independent actions or otherwise. The morning came upon us damp and rainy, and the crowds arrived to Uncle Richard Thors’ welcome to country and smoking ceremony as the weather cleared a little.
ABC Tv Crew. Credit: Damian Baker.
I was a little surprised to see a Channel Seven satellite dish and the representatives from the ABC, Ten and most of the daily papers there in numbers. It looked as though there may be media interest in civil disobedience.
The usual bevy of boob jobs and bobs were milling under the black umbrellas as the camera crews scouted around eager not to miss any action. And they were not disappointed as it was not long before the crew of “Wombats against Warming” surprised both the camera crews and the police by going high over the fence, not under it as would be expected. Well they were wombats after all!
This was the first of many humorous advances and organised protests from, winged fairies to the Carbon Cops, “Footy Players against Coal” to Pink Ballerinas and even Joe Average took the opportunity to exercise with Victoria’s finest officers.
While the mood was generally congenial, a few eager Bobbies on horse back reacted a little heavy handedly as they rammed their horses along the fences and spoiled my good photo opportunities.
The push and shove rolled up and down the hill, the music played and 22 people managed to get over the Hazelwood fences to deliver the community decommission order on the coal power station.
They were immediately charged with trespass by the boys in blue.
With our wild little crew of recruited cameramen we got the footage SBS were interested in and I arranged a satellite feed from the Seven dish to get it to them. As the day wound down and the stills were fed to the media outlets a human windmill was formed and a reasonably quiet but seemingly successful Victorian Climate Camp came to an end.
Seven and the ABC ran a lead story and a good splash across the papers was a credit to the work done both by our media unit on the day and in advance.
Smoking ceremony. Credit: Damian Baker.
With a lost wallet, a missed Tiger air flight and a run up the Blue Mountains in the fog on the trusty old bike and I hit the sack at 3-30am to tap this out and end a weekend of NewsHooking.
I was definitely lighter in the pocket but had the feeling that I had achieved something.
NewsHooker gears up for an assignment. Credit: Damian Baker.
Every week theangle.org’s very own NewsHooker takes a witty or jaundiced look (depending on the assignment) behind the scenes of the sausage factory that is news reporting in this country. The NewsHooker lifts the lid of what it takes to be a successful Australian photojournalist.
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