Tasmanian conservationist Ali Alishah will appear in Hobart Magistrates court this morning at 10am. Ali Alishah has been held on remand since 6 September, he is in the Ron Barwick minimum security complex in Hobart.
“Fellow conservationists will today gather at the court to show support for Ali Alishah, a peaceful protester who has been held on remand for 29 days.
“Prison is not the place for non-violent protesters who have stood up for the protection of Tasmania’s globally significant forests and who have protested about the building of Gunns Ltd environmentally destructive pulp mill,” Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.
Jenny Weber
Huon Valley Environment Centre
www.huon.org
www.nativeforest.net
• UPDATE:
Forest Protesters Appear in Court
2 conservationists have this week appeared in court across Tasmania on peaceful protesting charges.
Ali Alishah, 26, appeared in the Hobart Magistrate’s court this morning to adjourn matters until the 14th of October. Mr. Alishah has now been remanded in custody for 29 days, the longest remand of any protester in Tasmanian history.
Mr. Alishah was remanded in custody on September 6 charged with breaching bail and causing a nuisance.
He is alleged to have locked himself under a truck carrying earth moving equipment to the Gunns’ Pulp Mill site at Longreach.
‘Prison is not the place for a non-violent protester who is standing up for the Tasmanian environment. Conservationists in Tasmania right now are doing the job of the government. They’re bringing attention to the fact that logging in Tasmania’s old growth forests is continuing, and they demonstrating against the building of the environmentally destructive Tamar Valley Pulp Mill,’ Huon Valley Environment Centre’s Jenny Weber said.
Karlien van Rooyen, 20, yesterday pleaded guilty to 2 counts of trespass in the Burnie Magistrate’s court and received no fine or conviction.
Upon arrest for a peaceful protest at the Burnie Harvey Norman store on the 13th of August, Ms. van Rooyen was refused bail and remanded for 2 nights.
“It is horrifying the wild west tactics that were used by the Burnie police to scare environment protesters.” Ms. van Rooyen said. “I was instructed by the Burnie Police that my bail had originally been opposed to show Burnie’s attitude to protesters and so that I could be used as an example to other environment protestors.The fact that the court did not even impose a fine or a conviction shows the weekend long remand was heavy handed treatment by the Burnie Police.”
Karlien van Rooyen Jenny Weber
• GUNNSBLOG: Updated video of site preparation works
• Global 24 hours of No Harvey No! action Saturday morning
What: Global 24 hours of community action on Harvey Norman’s retailing of Aussie forest destruction
When: 10:00am, Saturday 8 October
Where: Over 30 community actions nation-wide and internationally, including two spectacular actions by The Last Stand in inner-city Sydney and Melbourne.
On Saturday morning, forest campaigners from The Last Stand will be conducting two spectacular actions in inner-city Sydney and Melbourne, as part of a global 24 hours of action targeting Harvey Norman, which will be held around the world on 7 and 8 October.
‘The planet is about to take a stand and say No Harvey No! Stop selling Aussie forest destruction! At Harvey Norman stores and iconic landmarks across the nation and around the globe, hundreds of people will be speaking out against the destruction of Australia’s native forests’ said Ula Majewski, spokesperson for The Last Stand.
Community members are planning actions at Harvey Norman stores in Australia, New Zealand, Slovenia and Ireland, and at iconic landmarks internationally. To date, over 30 actions have been confirmed in 13 countries, and many more are expected to be confirmed.
For more information about the upcoming global 24 hours of action, which will held on Saturday 8 October in Australia, go to www.thelaststand.org.au/noharveyno24
Ula Majewski (Sydney) Nicola Paris (Melbourne)
