Politics
Aborigines to follow Bartlett
Twenty protesters were arrested for trespass yesterday after they refused to leave the construction site where they say ancient Aboriginal artefacts could be found.
In their third day of protests about one kilometre south of Brighton, chanting “cultural vandalism shame, shame, shame”, work was stopped for a couple of hours, Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre legal director Michael Mansell said.
Mr Mansell said the group would vigorously defend the trespass charges. “To charge trespass on land for Aborigines is a bit rich,” Mr Mansell said.
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Mr Mansell said the group would now take its fight directly to the Premier.
“Wherever the Premier goes between now and the state election we will be there and we will remind him that he has sat on a regime that has allowed Aboriginal heritage to be destroyed against the Aboriginal community’s wishes,” Mr Mansell said.