300 people attended the rally at the start of the controversial new logging road. Speakers including Tim Morris MP, Geoff Law, and acclaimed photographer Rob Blakers addressed the crowd, as well as local forest campaigners and Derwent valley residents.
Police formed a human barricade across the road to try and prevent conservationists from entering the exclusion zone. A number of Derwent Valley residents who have been lobbying the government to save the area crossed the line in peaceful protest and were arrested. This brought the total number of arrests to 15.
50 people then walked down Timbs Track, a walking track that parallels the logging area not in the exclusion zone. From there they walked through the rainforest and into the coupe. As a result police ordered logging contractors to stop work and their machines were locked into a giant cage that has been constructed. Once in the coupe, 7 further community members were arrested, bringing the total arrests to 22. 32 people have been arrested in the last week.
A diverse range of people were arrested including veteran forest campaigner Geoff Law, a local woman in her seventies from Westerway and a 17 year old male.
"Today's rally highlights the massive amount of support for the campaign to end old growth logging. David Bartlett must solve this dispute swiftly if he doesn't want it to become an election issue, which it most likely will as the majority of Tasmanians want to see an end to this wood chip driven madness," said spokesperson Ed Hill.
"The huge diversity of people from all walks of life here today confirms that this is a mainstream issue that average Tasmania's want solved before it is too late for our old growth forests," said Mr. Hill. "The Tasmanian public has had enough of this government's rampant old growth logging regime, they have had enough of the lies that Forestry Tasmania pedal to try and prop up their obviously unsustainable industry, and they have had enough of seeing their forests sold off with marginal returns to the tax payer and massive profits for climate criminals Gunns ltd." Said Mr Hill.
"Today we had local community members getting arrested for defending their own backyard. Local residents of the Derwent Valley have exhausted all other avenues of campaigning. They have been refused a meeting with Premier Bartlett and Primary Industries Minister David Llewellyn several times. Now as the chainsaws and bulldozers tear apart this ancient forest, what option to these people have but peaceful community protest?" said Ed Hill.
The 22 arrested were taken to Hobart where they are currently being processed, they have been charged with trespass.
All photos: Matthew Newton www.matthewnewton.com.au
Dear friends of nature.
ReplyDeletePlease, help us save the few percent of old growth forest remains from clearcutting in Sweden by joining many scientists, biologists, organizations and others in signing an appeal to the Swedish Parliament and Government.
The initiator of the Appeal is the organization Protect the Forest. This year is electionyear in Sweden and with international support we hope to be able to change the directions.
According to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency only a few percent of high conservation value forests remain below the mountain region in Sweden, less than one percent is primeval forests, which puts Sweden far below other countries preservationplans like U.S.A , Germany, Costa Rica, New Zealand. among others.
Read more and sign here: http://protecttheforest.se/upprop/en
(Note! Scientists in any of the fields of forest, climate, environment, biology or ecology, and organizations that wish to sign the Appeal can do this by contacting Protect the Forest: viktor.safve@skyddaskogen.se )
With the very best regards.
Maria Westerberg
Protect the Forest