In mid-May 2017, people all over the world stood up to coal, gas and oil interests by pushing for fossil fuel divestment. In New Zealand, this took the form of pressuring the Australian government to take support away from the Adani Corporation’s gigantic coal mine project in Carmichael, Australia. In addition, protesters continued to pressure banks to withdraw their investments from climate-destroying old technologies.

The Adani Carmichael coal mine would destroy thousands of hectares of Indigenous Australian land, wreak havoc on the surrounding ecosystem, and put an additional 4.6 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere. The nearby dying Great Barrier Reef would be further damaged, as would the global climate.

In Auckland, people stood outside the Australian consulate wearing dinosaur and Malcolm Turnbull masks, offering visas to climate deniers, and holding banners and placards. The message was clear: Turnbull and the Australian government are supporting a “dinosaur” fuel that will accelerate environmental catastrophe.

In Wellington, people loudly stormed the Beehive (New Zealand Parliament building), and then brought a giant letter for Turnbull to the Australian High Commission.

Dunedin protesters successfully “Rick-Rolled” the George Street branch of ANZ, crowding into the bank and singing Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”