Pacific Media Watch

22 July 2019

AUSTRALIA: French journalists arrested for filming protest against Adani mine

Australian police arrest the French journalists at Abbot Point coal terminal, Queensland, today. Image: Byron Echo
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BYRON BAY, Australia (Echo Daily/Pacific Media Watch): A group of French journalists has been arrested in Queensland, Australia, for filming content for a documentary for France 2, one of France’s most popular television stations.

The French journalists were arrested this morning at the Abbot Point coal terminal in Queensland while filming content for a documentary about the controversial Adani coal mine planned for Queensland.

Journalist Hugo Clément and three cameramen working for France 2 were filming protesters outside the coal terminal near Bowen, Queensland.

READ MORE: The Adani coal mine explained

The protesters were blocking the entrance to the coal terminal which is owned by Adani Group, the Indian mining company that wants to build one of the biggest open cut coal mines in Australia.

Clément and the others were told by Queensland police that they were "obstructing the railway" as they were capturing footage of protesters stopping workers from entering the coal terminal.

Without warning, all four Frenchmen were immediately placed in handcuffs and put into police vehicles.

This protest comes just days after information was announced that Adani would begin clearing trees in preparation for building their controversial coal mine in central Queensland.

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