Climate change activists faced up to two years in prison if convicted over blockade of world’s largest coal port

Some relatively good news from NSW for a change.

Police have dropped charges against more than 100 protesters two years after they blockaded the port of Newcastle as part of one of Australia’s largest climate protests.

In the Newcastle local court on Friday, the police prosecutor withdrew charges against 125 protesters. Legal group Climate Defenders Australia, which is representing the bulk of the protesters, said it had petitioned police to do so.

“Police should have withdrawn these charges long ago, once it was clear they could not make out the cases against them,” said Julia Grix, the founder and executive director of the group which represented 110 of the protesters.