Tasmanian Aboriginal elder Jim Everett has been arrested while protesting in a logging area within Tasmania’s Central Highlands this morning, claiming he is challenging the falsehood of assumed citizenship.
The Pakana/Palawa activist believes the colonial court system has “no jurisdiction” over his efforts to protect his traditional lands.
“The Palawa have been under colonialism now for 221 years and have never had any agreements with the colonial governments of Australia or Tasmania to become Australian citizens,” Everett said.
“Colonial Australia has no jurisdiction to arrest me or try me on charges for defending Palawa law in country and my action is to challenge the lie of assumed citizenship.”
Everett expressed frustration with the “failed colony and its destructive practices for profits, regardless of the negative impacts on our law in country” following his arrest today, on his 82nd birthday.
He was taken into custody on an existing warrant related to trespass charges from a protest in the Styx Valley earlier this year, where he refused to attend court several times.
“I am making a stand against native forest logging to respect my obligation under Law in Country,” he said before his arrest today.
‘To end this destruction, the colony should firstly make an agreement with First Nations to be Australian citizens and negotiate the conditions of citizenship to allow us to get on with healing our Country.”
Jenny Weber, the campaign manager for the Bob Brown Foundation, said “forest defenders” recently observed critically endangered swift parrots within the “destruction” of the logging area.
She urged the Tasmanian Government and Forestry Tasmania to stop logging due to the presence of the migratory bird.
