The protester who chained her self to a truck carrying pulp logs from the Upper Florentine has been charged and bailed. Bridget Gattenby, 21 of Mountain River was charged with public nuisance and obstructing a road. Her bail conditions prevent her from leaving her familly home between the hours of 7am and 3pm daily and state that she may have to present herself to police if requested to do so.
"Tasmania police continue to show the public whose interests they really represent. By enforcing heavy handed and over-the-top bail conditions on peaceful protesters the police are clearly acting in the interest of Forestry Tasmania and Gunns Limited. This is an attempt by Tasmania police to try stamp out peaceful protests in the Upper Florentine by trying to make it hard as possible for peaceful protesers to conduct their activities," said spokesperson Ed Hill.
"I'm virtually under house arrest. I thought that bail conditions like the ones i have were only used on serious criminals who pose a threat to society, not peaceful demonstrators who are actually trying to bring positive change which will benefit the whole commmunity. These bail conditions are obvioulsy politically motivated, I pose no threat to society and do don't deserve to be under virtual house arrest. Tasmania police seem to be more interested in protecting the profits of Gunns Ltd than acting in the public interest," said Bridget Gattenby.
"What we are seeing here is an obvious step up in the approach of Tasmania police in relation to bail conditions. On Wednesday 5 people were arrested and recieved various heavy handed conditions such as curfews and daily reports to the police. Today they placed a bright young woman with vision for our future under virtual house arrest. This has obviously been a concerted decision from police to step up their attack on environmentalists. David Bartlett is using the police force as his own privated forest millitia to oversee the annihilation of our remaing areas of old growth forest," said Ed Hill.
"Tasmania police refused to investigate an alledged assault by a Forestry Tasmania employee on Wednesday. It is unacceptable that the police wont even investigate an assault committed by Forestry Tasmania yet they are happy to place a peaceful protester who poses no threat to society under virtual house arrest," said spokesperson Ed Hill.
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