The group of Hazelwood arrestees are looking to continue the campaign to urgently transition away from coal-fired power, beginning with shutting down Hazelwood power station, and replacing it with renewable energy and alternative clean energy jobs in the Latrobe Valley. We will also be targetting the corporationa running Hazelwood- International Power and the Commonwealth Bank.

After the complete failure of Copenhagen and upcoming elections at both the state and federal level, 2010 could be a really successful year for climate action.

Civil Disobedience is the most effective form of protest and is now more necessary than ever as Copenhagen, the world's last ditch effort to secure our climate, has resolutely failed to deliver a binding treaty to reduce CO2 emissions.

See: http://indymedia.org.au/2009/12/19/climate-shame-copenhagen-agreement-fa...

Our politicians have sold out the people and our planet and it is clear that coal power must become a thing of the past as quickly as possible.

Three people were arrested in March 2009 attempting to shut off the supply of coal to Hazelwood as part of Earth Hour. 22 people were arrested as part of a mass civil disobedience action attempting to slap a decommission order on the plant in September 2009. All 25 are charged with trespass and are facing court.

read an overview of the successful action on indymedia: http://indymedia.org.au/2009/09/09/switch-off-hazelwood-coverage

view the successful action on our flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hazelwood09/

Victorian Government attacks right to peaceful protest.

After the highly successful peaceful community protest at the Hazelwood coal fired power station last month, Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Peter Batchelor, has signalled that he intends to come down hard on the communities right to protest at electricity infrastructure such as coal fired power stations.

Friends of the Earth Climate Campaigner Louise Morris said “Last month we saw over 500 community members take action, calling for a transition to renewable energy. This included 22 people who managed to climb the many fences around the Hazelwood coal station to put a ‘Community Decommission Order’ on the station, knowing they would face arrest through such a peaceful undertaking.”

“The police numbers and resources employed was far beyond what was required. Protest organisers had liaised closely with Victoria Police about expected numbers at the protest, but clearly the state government and owners of Hazelwood decided to use a massive force of police and private security. “

"We are now seeing the Victorian ALP Government continue it’s heavy handed approach to dealing with the many people in our community who care enough to take public action about climate change. Terrorising peaceful community campaigners who may use protest tactics that put them at the chance of a planned, considered and careful arrest is over the top, and inappropriate in a democracy” said Ms Morris.

“Premier Brumby and Minister Batchelor have been lobbied for years on climate change, with petitions, letters, personal visits and rallies, and we have only seen them continue to support the coal industry, while large scale solar power enterprises like the Solar Systems plant in Abbortsford go under. It is for these reasons people are increasingly prepared to take actions of the type we saw at the Hazelwood community protest on September 13, 2009. Threatening draconian financial penalties or jail terms is not the way to engage with a community campaign on climate change.”

“We will be talking with legal professionals to see what this could mean for our ability to hold peaceful community protests at the many polluting coal fire power stations in our state,” concluded Louise Morris.

During the historic Switch off Hazelwood, Swit on Renewables day of community protest and civil disobedience twenty two brave souls managed to climb the fences around Hazelwood to hand over their 'Community Decommission Orders.'

In the process of doing this they were arrested and charged with tresspass. While their day in court is bound to be some way off, there is a way we can all support these people...by donating to help cover their pending fines for trespass.

The maximum penalty for tresspass is $1,000.00 not a massive amount of money, but enough to burn a hole in the pockets of many of us who do not have a lot of money - as we have spent much of it campaigning for climate protection.

Help the Hazelwood 22 by donating to cover their legal costs through the Switch off Hazelwood bank account. All proceeds will be evenly distributed to those arrested.

(Age letter to the editor) September 15, 2009

AS ONE of the organisers of the protest at Hazelwood power station on Sunday, I'd like to clarify misconceptions about the action and its message. It is possible to replace coal-fired energy with existing renewable energy technology.

Climate Camp shuts down Dendrobium coal mine.

7.05am. Currently, four people from Climate Camp 2009 have scaled and locked themselves onto the coal conveyor belt at the Dendrobium
coal mine near Helensburgh, NSW.

Spokesperson for the group Aimee Bull-McMahon said “We have shut down the conveyor from this underground polluter as part of the Climate
Camp 09 three days of action. The Dendrobium coal mine, owned by Illawarra Coal, has been disastrous for the surrounding water ways that
the local community relies on for drinking water.”

“Switch off Hazelwood. Switch off Coal. Switch on Renewables” is a day of fun, creative and inspiring direct community action at Hazelwood coal power station. This march and protest at the front gates of the Hazelwood Power Station, is organised by community members who care about climate change - and are willing to take peaceful community action.

Why are we protesting at Hazelwood?

- Hazelwood is one of the dirtiest power stations in the industrialised world, emitting 17m tonnes of CO2 annually.

- Hazelwood was due to be switched off this year. In 2005 the state ALP government extended this polluting dinosaurs life to 2031.

- We are protesting to show that the social licence to continue to burn coal and pollute has been revoked. We are declaring a Community Decommission Order on Hazelwood, to switch on the renewable energy transition.

-The Latrobe Valley can be transformed to a renewable energy manufacturing hub and transition away from its dependence on coal.

Coal burning power stations are one of the main contributers to climate change, and Hazelwood is one of the dirtiest in the industrialised world.

11am on Sunday September 13, 2009 we will meet on the corner of Brodribb & Nadenboushs Rd (South of Morwell), and March to the front gates of the Hazelwood coal power station. Rallying at the front gates to 'Switch on Renewables and Switch off Coal' and slap a Community Decommission Order on Hazelwood Power Station.

You do not need to be in an arrestable position to play a vital role in this community protest and mass civil disobedience!

We need everyone who cares about climate change to come for this day of community action and make it clear we want to 'Switch on Renewables and Switch off Coal.'

Hazelwood coal power station is one of the dirtiest coal stations in the industrialised world, spewing an average of 17 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year.

Hazelwood was scheduled to be shut down this year, however it was given a life-line by the ALP state government in 2005 allowing it to continue operation until 2031. We need to remove that lifeline and instead support renewable energy, extending the life line to our planet.

This polluter of the past has to be switched off to allow us to switch on the renewable energy which will power our future.

We are all affected by climate change and it is time for us to remove the social licence for a polluting dinosaur like Hazelwood to go on causing climate change.

This is a community organised event, so the more people who take part, the more diverse and successful the action will be.

"Switch off Hazelwood. Switch on Renewables" is part of the campaign for a just transition away from coal, towards clean renewable energy jobs in the Latrobe Valley, and Australia.

Come along and get involved with organising the event -paint a banner, bring your friends, help raise awareness- come to an activist skillshare session- but most importantly come along on the day, for the first mass civil disobedience at the Hazelwood coal power station on Sunday, September 13, 2009.