It came during a planned three-day blockade of the world’s largest coal port by the activist group Rising Tide, which hit the waters with surfboards, kayaks and boats on Friday.

On Saturday, eight protesters paddled into a shipping channel to try to stop a coal ship from leaving around 1:30 p.m.

NSW confirmed in a statement on Saturday that three people had been charged as a high-visibility operation continued at the harbour.

Officers ordered several people away from a shipping channel due to safety concerns around 1:45 p.m. Saturday.

After two men, aged 27 and 59, and a 26-year-old woman were allegedly left in the water, they were taken to Newcastle Police Station where they were charged with failing to comply with instructions from the authorized office in terms of security.

They were granted bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Monday, January 13 next year.

“A number of other people were not arrested on the water, but were assisted by police as they struggled to return to shore,” the statement said.

Police then asked protesters to follow their instructions and “refrain from entering the port with the intention of disturbing other users of the port.”

“The community is reminded that under NSW law the safe passage of vessels is protected. Any illegal activity may result in fines or imprisonment.”

Protesters went to Horseshoe Beach, Newcastle, on Friday morning before heading out onto the water where they stayed overnight and into Saturday.

The protest comes just a day after the NSW Supreme Court ruled to overturn the state’s maritime exclusion zone, which was created to prevent protesters from creating a water blockade in the port.

The group’s intention is to “peacefully protest” the coal port because it “exports coal that creates 1% of global emissions, while our government continues to approve new coal and gas projects,” can -we read on Facebook.

Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett performed at the event and lent his support to the protest by criticizing the NSW government’s “overreach” for trying to stop it.

“Does the threat to the well-being and peace of the Hunter region lie in a group of citizens peacefully exercising their democratic rights or in the continued export of a material that will blow the world into a stove?” he told the crowd.

More than 100 arrests were made during last year’s protest at Newcastle Harbour.