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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/29/leard-blockade-twitter-portraits-from-the-frontline-at-maules-creek
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| Leard blockade: Twitter portraits from the frontline at Maules Creek | Leard blockade: Twitter portraits from the frontline at Maules Creek |
| (7 months later) | |
| On Monday night, after eight days living with and observing participants in the New South Wales camp protesting Whitehaven Coal’s project to fell a forest for a coal mine, I tweeted, “What an Alliance - #leardblockade volunteers all angles – farming, Aboriginal, biodiversity, climate change, forests, coal/CSG. Amazing.” | |
| The Greenpeace-backed gathering over the Australia Day weekend was an end-game attempt at reinforcement with a radical pitch: direct action through civil disobedience was the only way to hold-up such a grotesque Up Yours to climate change. Farmers, anti-coal activists, native animal lovers, people in despair at climate change, forest campaigners, local Aboriginal elders - all of them somehow, some way, got together at the farm of blockade co-founder Clifford Wallace to arrange a successful blockade on Tuesday. | The Greenpeace-backed gathering over the Australia Day weekend was an end-game attempt at reinforcement with a radical pitch: direct action through civil disobedience was the only way to hold-up such a grotesque Up Yours to climate change. Farmers, anti-coal activists, native animal lovers, people in despair at climate change, forest campaigners, local Aboriginal elders - all of them somehow, some way, got together at the farm of blockade co-founder Clifford Wallace to arrange a successful blockade on Tuesday. |
| I experimented with Twitter-only reporting on my iPhone in words and photos, using portraits with minimal captioning to document the process. I photographed a wide range of people who had to get to the core of their motivation to travelin horror heat, a long way away on Australia Day weekend, for a cause they believed in. | I experimented with Twitter-only reporting on my iPhone in words and photos, using portraits with minimal captioning to document the process. I photographed a wide range of people who had to get to the core of their motivation to travelin horror heat, a long way away on Australia Day weekend, for a cause they believed in. |
| Young people were the surest and the happiest, to be there. Among older people, some were drawn back to the place of their childhood, a return to country to help save it from the ravages of coal mining. Some, fighting mining development in their region wanted to show solidarity with another community with the same dark issues. Others, like a Penrith pastor, felt the experience would best express their deep concerns about climate change. | Young people were the surest and the happiest, to be there. Among older people, some were drawn back to the place of their childhood, a return to country to help save it from the ravages of coal mining. Some, fighting mining development in their region wanted to show solidarity with another community with the same dark issues. Others, like a Penrith pastor, felt the experience would best express their deep concerns about climate change. |
| For me, Twitter portraits were an effective way to disprove the outdated stereotypes of "greenies" - the NSW Mining Council called them "ferals" last week, as well as dole-bludgers. In fact, few were unemployed; many left camp on Monday, before the big action, because they had to return to work. The photographs also seemed to inspire many Tweeps who followed the story to see parts of themselves in the protestors, and to consider the possibility of taking a radical stand for their beliefs as arrestees ("bunnies") or as support team members. | For me, Twitter portraits were an effective way to disprove the outdated stereotypes of "greenies" - the NSW Mining Council called them "ferals" last week, as well as dole-bludgers. In fact, few were unemployed; many left camp on Monday, before the big action, because they had to return to work. The photographs also seemed to inspire many Tweeps who followed the story to see parts of themselves in the protestors, and to consider the possibility of taking a radical stand for their beliefs as arrestees ("bunnies") or as support team members. |
| I hope you like my portraits. I loved doing them. I feel they document a broad-based cross-generational dissatisfaction with governance on environmental issues with the potential to become a powerful people’s movement which could transform the climate change debate in 2014. | I hope you like my portraits. I loved doing them. I feel they document a broad-based cross-generational dissatisfaction with governance on environmental issues with the potential to become a powerful people’s movement which could transform the climate change debate in 2014. |
| • Please allow a few seconds for the photographs to load. | • Please allow a few seconds for the photographs to load. |
| War veteran fights for the future http://t.co/NIK9tSuPGK via @The_NDL #leardblockade pic with @kodivine 21 pic.twitter.com/rk1wZguO4e | War veteran fights for the future http://t.co/NIK9tSuPGK via @The_NDL #leardblockade pic with @kodivine 21 pic.twitter.com/rk1wZguO4e |
| John Carroll, asst pastor Penrith Christian Community Church, at #leardblockade - "concerned about climate change". pic.twitter.com/EYRlbjWoLE | John Carroll, asst pastor Penrith Christian Community Church, at #leardblockade - "concerned about climate change". pic.twitter.com/EYRlbjWoLE |
| Ann Foo, 32, Perth, arrested - first time Tripoder: "This mine is devoid of environmental and economic logic." pic.twitter.com/CEM6sKhC0z | Ann Foo, 32, Perth, arrested - first time Tripoder: "This mine is devoid of environmental and economic logic." pic.twitter.com/CEM6sKhC0z |
| Locals at #Naarabri Council to oppose eviction of #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/x4cI2S04MW | Locals at #Naarabri Council to oppose eviction of #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/x4cI2S04MW |
| Photo of blockader Bill Ryan, 91, "We can't afford this with global warming". #leardblockade Kokoda Trail veteran pic.twitter.com/Plz410TUkU | Photo of blockader Bill Ryan, 91, "We can't afford this with global warming". #leardblockade Kokoda Trail veteran pic.twitter.com/Plz410TUkU |
| Local Tweep Rosemary Nankivell @nocsg at main #leardblockade - profiled dissident Councillor http://t.co/iv5hNbc9Qs pic.twitter.com/MeWN4UOLOw | Local Tweep Rosemary Nankivell @nocsg at main #leardblockade - profiled dissident Councillor http://t.co/iv5hNbc9Qs pic.twitter.com/MeWN4UOLOw |
| Melbourne's @macavitykat is 26, FirstTime Tripod, Arrested "Not doing anything is giving my consent" #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/rUN66Wedye | Melbourne's @macavitykat is 26, FirstTime Tripod, Arrested "Not doing anything is giving my consent" #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/rUN66Wedye |
| #leardblockade first- time Tripoder Surya McEwen, 28, Byron Bay: "I feel good. I stand with the Gomeroi people." pic.twitter.com/TNpWJSjORb | #leardblockade first- time Tripoder Surya McEwen, 28, Byron Bay: "I feel good. I stand with the Gomeroi people." pic.twitter.com/TNpWJSjORb |
| Sharyn Brock, Elands, and Sharyn Munroe, Upper Hunter, block the gate to stop tripod access #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/zgQB1zF0as | Sharyn Brock, Elands, and Sharyn Munroe, Upper Hunter, block the gate to stop tripod access #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/zgQB1zF0as |
| Jim Gilronan at #leardblockade from Sydney to make a short doco on participation in #climatechange #directaction pic.twitter.com/ANV2DNUgoy | Jim Gilronan at #leardblockade from Sydney to make a short doco on participation in #climatechange #directaction pic.twitter.com/ANV2DNUgoy |
| Chair of @savegloucester Julie Lyford at #leardblockade "to support rural communities fighting for their land' pic.twitter.com/Foa9y8WUUH | Chair of @savegloucester Julie Lyford at #leardblockade "to support rural communities fighting for their land' pic.twitter.com/Foa9y8WUUH |
| Ros Druce, farmer, a local at #leardblockade. Her piece for @NoFibs on #Boggabri blues http://t.co/tHUjXnpBmW pic.twitter.com/LCvp77Qyt3 | Ros Druce, farmer, a local at #leardblockade. Her piece for @NoFibs on #Boggabri blues http://t.co/tHUjXnpBmW pic.twitter.com/LCvp77Qyt3 |
| Anne Hui, 23, drove from Sydney with a friend filming a #leardblockade documentary. pic.twitter.com/XhW3XcH0tl | Anne Hui, 23, drove from Sydney with a friend filming a #leardblockade documentary. pic.twitter.com/XhW3XcH0tl |
| Pink striped frog lives in forest to be felled for coal mine by #Whitehaven #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/YHHBnntwbk | Pink striped frog lives in forest to be felled for coal mine by #Whitehaven #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/YHHBnntwbk |
| Felicity & John Davis from Bayview in Sydney at #leardblockade "worried about burning coal effect on climate chaos". pic.twitter.com/RDPAYj8t3z | Felicity & John Davis from Bayview in Sydney at #leardblockade "worried about burning coal effect on climate chaos". pic.twitter.com/RDPAYj8t3z |
| Ishbel Cullen, 20, Canberra - "I'm here to take direct action on climate change - no new coal mines!" #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/45zPJagffk | Ishbel Cullen, 20, Canberra - "I'm here to take direct action on climate change - no new coal mines!" #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/45zPJagffk |
| #leardblockade camp co- founder Murray Dreschler briefs visitors camp - 500+ days "Keep strong, stay brave." pic.twitter.com/bWyB4xg0UC | #leardblockade camp co- founder Murray Dreschler briefs visitors camp - 500+ days "Keep strong, stay brave." pic.twitter.com/bWyB4xg0UC |
| Local farmer @ablaird_ briefs #leardblockade: "National Party doesn't represent farmers any more - it's miners." pic.twitter.com/DOMvPzRyN8 | Local farmer @ablaird_ briefs #leardblockade: "National Party doesn't represent farmers any more - it's miners." pic.twitter.com/DOMvPzRyN8 |
| Audrey McLean drove to #leardblockade from #Lismore because "a new coal mine in 2014 is wrong, wrong, wrong". pic.twitter.com/Td7W1dL7uQ | Audrey McLean drove to #leardblockade from #Lismore because "a new coal mine in 2014 is wrong, wrong, wrong". pic.twitter.com/Td7W1dL7uQ |
| Pip Rey (nee Heathcote) from Sydney to #leardblockade today - the farmer's daughter grew up at Tambar Springs nearby pic.twitter.com/FmgMXPBpVy | Pip Rey (nee Heathcote) from Sydney to #leardblockade today - the farmer's daughter grew up at Tambar Springs nearby pic.twitter.com/FmgMXPBpVy |
| Anne Marie Rasmussen lives near Leard Forest, fears her springs will disappear due to coal water use #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/MbwPSME4kO | Anne Marie Rasmussen lives near Leard Forest, fears her springs will disappear due to coal water use #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/MbwPSME4kO |
| Maules Ck farmer Clifford Wallace keeps #leadblockade visitors camp at his place dust-free. pic.twitter.com/6BSYkHPnm6 | Maules Ck farmer Clifford Wallace keeps #leadblockade visitors camp at his place dust-free. pic.twitter.com/6BSYkHPnm6 |
| Jonathan Moylan's mum Marion Gevers, Newcastle: "I'm here to learn how to protect the forest." #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/fumae08MT6 | Jonathan Moylan's mum Marion Gevers, Newcastle: "I'm here to learn how to protect the forest." #leardblockade pic.twitter.com/fumae08MT6 |
| John Ingram, 67, drove 8 hours from Brisbane - needed directions from mine workers to get to #leardblockade camp pic.twitter.com/jMCC5ya9yp | John Ingram, 67, drove 8 hours from Brisbane - needed directions from mine workers to get to #leardblockade camp pic.twitter.com/jMCC5ya9yp |
| #leardblockade hero Jonathan Moylan returns for Aus Day convergence http://t.co/LAnJf1Knyc @StandWithJono pic.twitter.com/Cj4X84ZC4H | #leardblockade hero Jonathan Moylan returns for Aus Day convergence http://t.co/LAnJf1Knyc @StandWithJono pic.twitter.com/Cj4X84ZC4H |
| Meret MacDonald, 23, back at #leardblockade - arrest March 2013 - 'to stop #Whitehaven destroying air, water, land' pic.twitter.com/uqUNL7s8MP | Meret MacDonald, 23, back at #leardblockade - arrest March 2013 - 'to stop #Whitehaven destroying air, water, land' pic.twitter.com/uqUNL7s8MP |