The rally at Bar Beach on Saturday was part of the international Rise for Climate event, with people in communities around the world gathering to call for an end to fossil fuel projects.

“We have to end the abomination that is seismic testing to protect our whales, marine life and our coast,” Disabled Surfers Association president Gary Blashke told the rally.

Save Our Coast’s Natasha Deen said the event was an opportunity to “send a clear message to our leaders”.

“Our previous rallies, and tens of thousands of signatures on petitions, have demonstrated massive community opposition to the seismic testing for oil and gas and planned gas field off our coast, which has been imposed on us by the federal government without adequate community consultation,” she said.

“We must immediately divest from fossil fuels that harm our planet”.