On September 26, 2010, Rising Tide Newcastle staged a complete shut down of the world’s biggest coal port in Newcastle, New South Wales. As a result of the action, the remaining seven defendants are being pursued for $525,000 in “victim’s compensation” for the profits that mining giants Rio Tinto and Xstrata missed out on that day. These laws, designed to compensate victims of violent crime without having to go through civil litigation, are now being used by some of the world’s biggest corporations to stifle dissent. It is a new twist on SLAPP suits – Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation like the Gunns 20 case and the ongoing Triabunna 13 case in Tasmania. Support the Rising Tide 7. Click here for more.
