Two Activists Arrested in Weld and Upper Florentine Ancient Forests : Melbourne Indymedia

Media Release

Peaceful Protestor Arrested in Tasmania's Forests as Illegal Onslaught by Forestry Tasmania Continues in Ancient Forest

"A forest protestor was yesterday arrested in the Upper Florentine Valley, whilst protesting about the continued destruction of Ancient World Heritage value forests.
One arrest was made, after the protester perched in a tree sit had halted logging operations for most of the day," Huon Valley Environment Centre Spokesperson Jenny Weber said.

"Forest activists remain in the Upper Florentine and Lower Weld Valleys, their brave actions continue to highlight the ongoing destruction of threatened species habitat and wild ancient forests. Despite a Federal Court ruling, Forestry Tasmania and the State Government have ignored the ruling and continue their relentless push to destroy wilderness forest in Tasmania," Jenny Weber said.

14th February 2007

Forestry Tasmania accelerates illegal destruction in Tasmania's Ancient Southern Forests
Forest Defenders maintain vigil

"A forest activist was yesterday arrested whilst defending ancient forest in the Lower Weld Valley. Forestry Tasmania is currently logging in two high conservation value forests in the Lower Weld Valley. Illegal destruction of these ancient forests has accelerated, nine machines are destroying the ancient forest with alarming rate," Spokesperson Jenny Weber said.

"This second arrest in two days in Tasmania's wild southern forests highlights community resistance to the logging of these wildlife habitats. World Heritage value forest in the Lower Weld and Upper Florentine Valleys deserve immediate protection. And forest defenders are maintaining their vigil in the Weld and Upper Florentine, to highlight senseless destruction by Lennon's State and Howard's Federal Governments intention to plunder a globally significant wilderness area," Jenny Weber said.

Comment
Jenny Weber
Huon Valley Environment Centre
0427 366 929

Nine machines are smashing wilderness forest at the end of the new logging road in the lower Weld Valley. Peaceful activists are defending these ancient forests.
In the lower Weld Valley today, a tree sitter was watching while a contractor moved the excavator that he had his tree sit line attached to. Fraying the ropes on his tree sit.
Then the 12 contractors present in the logging coupe tormented, ridiculed and threatened with sexual abuse the person locked on to machinery. A peaceful activist was locked on from 6am to 2pm today in the coupe. Contractors antics included obcenities, throwing stink bombs, pulling hair, placing honey/oil for attracting march flies close to the person,
violently threatened the activists present.
In the Florentine Valley yesterday, contractors and a police office held the piece of rope that was attaching the tree sit to the machine and cut the rope.

WELD Walk In This Sunday 18TH Feb, Meet at HVEC at 9:30am.
Walk in to the logging area,
Bring all weather gear, walking or bikes 10km, food, water,

Your support is needed.
Donate to the campaign
TIME come to the Weld or Florentine, join the community campaign
VISIT http://www.huon.org or http://www.forestdefenceunit.org
POSTER your local town with our posters, call us
DONATE your funds online check it out at http://www.huon.org
DANCE with a fundraiser and donate the monies to our campaign
OFFER your old camping gear, a box of food, medical supplies, climbing
equipment, call 0427 366 929
CALL talkback spread the WELD and FLORENTINE message
WRITE to the papers
WATCH our films, we have a dvd of 5 films, have a film night,
PASS this on to friends, family

CONTACT Huon Valley Environment Centre 6264 1286

Here we are in the worst bushfire season in nearly a decade and what do these so called peaceful protestors do they light a fire. With the amount of wind Tassie has had lately it would not take much to move sparks from protestors fire into the kiln dried bush and what happens to the bush they are trying to save its torched, along with the wildlife, at least with logging the animals move habitat and are very adaptable but give them a Greenie bush fire and they don't stand a chance. Must be another election coming up because that brings out the protestors.

My thoughts are with the poor contractor and his employees who's workplace was illegally entered creating an unsafe workplace and their machines tampered with, who pay's their wages for standing around guarding the machines from the Green Menace.