Youth are right to protest Woodside鈥檚 fossil fuel expansion

April 29, 2024
Issue 
Emma and Tom, activists for the climate. Photo: disrupt_burrup_hub/Instragram

Disrupt Burrup Hub has been accused of weaponising children, following a protest at Woodside鈥檚 Annual General Meeting on April 17.

Emma, Tom and Nell, two young people and a young mother, respectively, stood up during the corporation鈥檚 AGM and called out Woodside Chair Richard Goyder and CEO Meg O鈥橬eill鈥檚 children to highlight the enormous cost of the corporation鈥檚 decisions on future generations.

The West Australian claimed to be speaking on behalf of most arguing that O鈥橬eill was correct to say she was 鈥渇air game鈥, but her family had a right to privacy.

The West Australian and O鈥橬eill have long painted Woodside as 鈥渧ictims鈥 of 鈥渋ntimidating鈥 climate protesters.

Last year, a protest at O鈥橬eill鈥檚 house was intercepted by the State Security Investigation Group of the WA Police.

Following this, climate activist Matilda Lane-Rose became the subject of an infantilising depiction by The West Australian, that culminated in it stating she had been 鈥済roomed鈥 by another activist, a claim that was easily disproved.

The establishment media like to rob young people of their autonomy and political choices: the claim that youth are being corrupted by climate activists is nonsense.

Young people are the victims of today鈥檚 fossil capitalism and they have every right to voice their opposition to massive fossil fuel projects, such as Woodside鈥檚 Browse Basin expansion.

鈥淚 really hope that Meg O鈥橬eill does not want their child, Chase, to inherit the world that we will be inheriting if [Woodside鈥檚] Burrup Hub goes ahead,鈥 Emma said in an interview posted to .

Heynick鈥檚 motives are clear: she is a young person and can see very clearly the effects that the destructive quest for infinite growth on a finite planet will have.

It is important to amplify the voices of those most affected by climate catastrophe, and those include young people.

also have doubts in the company鈥檚 climate plan, as a majority voted at the AGM to reject it.

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