ANTI-Green protesters made their feelings known in Hobart yesterday outside a rally organised by the Wilderness Society when they threatened several rally patrons.
A man driving a silver Ford Falcon with blacked out windows illegally parked in Murray St, opposite the Customs House Hotel.
Attached to the vehicle was an anti-Greens trailer and when people on their way to the rally approached, a man menacingly motioned at them with what appeared to be a cut down broom handle.
He then fled across the car park where he dived into a waiting people mover and sped off. Conservationists near the van say it deliberately tried to reverse into them as they photographed the incident.
The anti-Green trailer was authorised by D. Urquhart, Devon St Burnie, a member of the Exclusive Brethren sect.
Meanwhile, Damien Mantach, Tasmanian Liberals Campaign Director, yesterday said that when he met with members of the Exclusive Brethren sect prior to the election, they had discussed Greens’ policies. Crikey.com has Mr Mantach also saying that the NSW Liberals had a financial arrangement with the Brethren when targeting the Greens in the 2004 federal election.
Given the startling similarities between the Brethren and Liberal flyers, as outlined yesterday, one has to wonder if there is anything else Mr Mantach wants to say.
A photographic record of the altercation clearly shows the man with the broom handle and his ‘recon crew’ trying to avoid photographers.
And,
PHILIPPA DUNCAN, The Mercury:
A LONE heckler at a forests rally on Parliament Lawns has called “greenies” who tried to silence him “bullies” intent on stopping free speech. Lindisfarne foundry worker Shane Manley stood among the crowd to shout at gardening guru Peter Cundall …
Minutes earlier, rally speaker and award-winning author Richard Flanagan had urged the crowd — estimated at 3000 by organisers — to stop being “frightened” and speak out against “on-going forest destruction”. “Freedom of expression has become so difficult,” he said, referring to the Gunns writ against 20 conservationists. “We are faced with a paradox. Because the great majority of Tasmanians know what is happening here. The great majority of Tasmanians do not like what is happening here. And yet, such is the fear, the great majority chose to do nothing. “There comes a time when we must chose between keeping silent and speaking out. “Between the ease of cowardness, or the loneliness of courage. And such a time is now.”
Read more: Here
