Aussie Cowboys, Farmers Protest In Sydney (Video)

Many thousands of Australian farmers and cowboys descended into central Sydney today to protest against the excessive coal and gas industry in the country, which they claim is damaging productive farmland.

People from all across the state of New South Wales came together in the state capital Sydney, asking authorities to protect the land in rural regions rather than to focus on gains for gas and coal mining projects.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Farmers on horseback join indigenous people, knitting grandmothers and environmental campaigners in Sydney rally against coal and gas mining in rural areas <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Time2Choose?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Time2Choose</a> <a href="https://t.co/L8nKczQbOd">https://t.co/L8nKczQbOd</a></p>&mdash; AFP news agency (@AFP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AFP/status/977466621752233984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Ms Georgina Woods, the rally organizer from anti-coal group Lock The Gate, said: "The global market for coal and gas is changing, and global approaches to energy are also changing."

<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Farmers, horses, protestors and anyone who actually cares for the environment are marching in Sydney’s CBD, demanding action from the government on the protection of land, water and cultural heritage from coal mining and coal seam gas extraction. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Time2Choose?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Time2Choose</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/2GB873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@2GB873</a> <a href="https://t.co/EmQ8eY5C3w">pic.twitter.com/EmQ8eY5C3w</a></p>&mdash; Matthew Bridges (@matthewabridges) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewabridges/status/977373037392613376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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"We don't want our state to sacrifice sustainable agriculture and community for the short-term money that comes with mining that will only bring long-term environmental degradation."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thanks again to <a href="https://twitter.com/farmingforever?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@farmingforever</a> leader, Inverell farmer Glenn Morris for the leadership shown at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Time2Choose?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Time2Choose</a> rally in Sydney <a href="https://t.co/x1HpeeS2VS">https://t.co/x1HpeeS2VS</a><br>📷 by Andrya Hart <a href="https://twitter.com/LockTheGate?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LockTheGate</a> <a href="https://t.co/6GsDFWTQiK">pic.twitter.com/6GsDFWTQiK</a></p>&mdash; FarmersClimateAction (@farmingforever) <a href="https://twitter.com/farmingforever/status/977414959846993920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Local farmers are seriously worried that current gas extraction methods might contaminate their groundwater sources and are therefore calling to action.

Ms Clare Twomey, one of the co-founders of Knitting Nannas Against Gas, said: "Our farms are being ruined; our food bowls have no water; they have drill pads or coal mines in the middle of their farms."

"It's a huge disaster for our planet."

Source:

https://twitter.com/AFP/status/977466621752233984