Things have been pretty crazy this week. Logging is continueing in 21c( where the Weld Ark used to be) and Forestry Tasmania applied for an injunction through the Supreme Court of Tasmania to prevent the Environment Centre from staging a walk in, and also to prevent the EC or it's agents from assisting in any actions in the Weld including "providing medical assistance" , allowing anyone going to the forest from sleeping at their house, feeding them, lending them vehicles etc.
HVEC members were served with writs at their homes on friday morning, with the case being heard on friday afternoon. The Chief Justice threw out FT's case after a couple of hours, after ruling most of their evidence( primarily info printed off the web) was inadmissable, as authorship and relevance were disputable. FT was ordered to pay costs of up to $10,000.Their case was completely shoddy, and the whole scenario resulted in two days of great media for the EC, including front page in the Mercury and lead or close to stories on all local TV news for 2 days, with great coverage of the walk in. We also recieved alot of calls from the general community in support of us, including a few "im not a greenie, but i hate bullies" type calls.
The case is over for the moment, but we'll have to wait and see if FT plan to pursue this any further.
On friday , 6 activists plead guilty to various charges arising from Weld actions, with all recieving 'guilty with no conviction', including for multiple charges. A number of activists have ongoing cases.
Actions in the Weld
Since logging started in 21c last monday, the following actions have occured -
Monday 13th - activists hang a tree sit of a log loader and log pile, holding up work for a day and a half. Tree-sitter escapes after loader operator moves machine, transferring weight of sit onto the log pile. This results in rope to log pile beginning to fray, as two lengths of this thickness rope are required to support tree-sit. Another logging contractor moves in 7 machines on this day and commences harvesting, whilst FT contractors work on road extensions.
Tuesday 14th - activist locks onto 'axe-whacker' ( machine capable of mechanically harvesting old growth trees), holding it from 5am to 2pm, when he is cut off by SES, and arrested for trespass. He endured hair pulling, stinkbombs, and threats of sexual assault (in the presence of Forestry Tasmania employees).This holds up most work.
Wednesday 15th - four activists stop FT roading dozer, after dozer driver attempts to back over an activists who climbs on dozer and is then grabbed around the throat by driver.
Thursday 16th - A road block is set up on Eddy Rd, the main access point for the Weld. A tree sit is suspended off a rope web tied through a culvert, stopping two old growth logging operations and two old growth roading operations until 1pm. Contractors pull on the rigging multiple times, in the presence of FT Forest Practices Officer Terry Ware, resulting in the tree sit dropping a metre. Police rescue climb tree and arrest sitter for trespass.
Sunday 18th - over 50 community members, as well as media, defy forestry exclusion zone and a police presence and walk the 1okms to 21C. Police film protestors with the stated intention of charging them with trespass by summons.
Monday 19th - an activists locks onto the axe -whacker in 21c with a glass lock on, holding up operations until 1pm. A contractor comes one metre from an activist with the jaws of a log loader, attempting to intimidate of injure him, before the activist jumps out of the way.
Tuesday 20th - activists again block eddy rd at culvert. at time of writing (1pm) blockade is still active.
he sitter go after they cabled off the set up. Strange.
