Almost a dozen branches of a national bank were shut down on July 5 amidst safety concerns after green activists gathered en masse in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie to protest the Adani coal mine.
The Australian reported 11 Commonwealth Bank Australia branches were closed in Newcastle. In a statement, CBA said they temporarily closed their banks “based on information provided by NSW Police.”
The activists targeted CBA over its continuing relationship with Indian coal company Adani, which is looking for financial backers to build a $16.5 billion mine in central Queensland – an operation that activists believe could potentially devastate the already damaged Great Barrier Reef.
One of the other national banks, Westpac, ruled out funding the Adani coal project in April amidst backlash from activists. Credit: Front Line Coal Action via Storyful
