Veteran environmental activist Bob Brown was one of three activists arrested during a protest in Tasmania’s Styx Forest this morning.
According to a spokesperson from the Bob Brown Foundation, Brown, along with Colette Harmsen and Ali Alishah, was arrested and taken to Bridgewater Police Station on Monday morning.
Brown reportedly refused police requests to move on, saying he was “staying here” because “it is illegal under international law to be destroying forests that are World Heritage value”.
“This is official vandalism and disregard for global law. It is reckless Liberal government disregard for Tasmania’s natural beauty and international reputation,” he said.
Harmsen, who served three months in prison last year for her environmental activism, was charged with trespass alongside Brown, before both were released on bail.
“We must stop native forest logging immediately. If I go to jail please get active for me to put an end this. It is time. Doing it for the forests,” Harmsen said.
The pair will face the Hobart Magistrates Court on April 27, while Alishah was held in custody for allegedly breaking bail conditions.
“These ecologically irreplaceable carbon-dense forests are being stolen from future generations by a short-sighted and loss-making manager, Forestry Tasmania, willingly enabled by the parties to the Tasmanian Forest Agreement,” he said.
“This election, we have a chance to send a message to all political parties that we must rid ourselves of redundant management structures and do everything we can to restore and protect these forests in the interests of future generations.”
MP Vica Bayley said Tasmanian Greens were backing calls to better protect the state’s national parks and World Heritage Areas from development.
“The Greens have always been strong advocates for Tassie’s special places and we always will be,” he said.
“In the next Parliament we will do everything we can to scrap the Liberals’ shonky process for development inside national parks and the World Heritage area.”
