marian's blog

Victorian Government attacks right to peaceful protest.

After the highly successful peaceful community protest at the Hazelwood coal fired power station last month, Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Peter Batchelor, has signalled that he intends to come down hard on the communities right to protest at electricity infrastructure such as coal fired power stations.

Friends of the Earth Climate Campaigner Louise Morris said “Last month we saw over 500 community members take action, calling for a transition to renewable energy. This included 22 people who managed to climb the many fences around the Hazelwood coal station to put a ‘Community Decommission Order’ on the station, knowing they would face arrest through such a peaceful undertaking.”

“The police numbers and resources employed was far beyond what was required. Protest organisers had liaised closely with Victoria Police about expected numbers at the protest, but clearly the state government and owners of Hazelwood decided to use a massive force of police and private security. “

"We are now seeing the Victorian ALP Government continue it’s heavy handed approach to dealing with the many people in our community who care enough to take public action about climate change. Terrorising peaceful community campaigners who may use protest tactics that put them at the chance of a planned, considered and careful arrest is over the top, and inappropriate in a democracy” said Ms Morris.

“Premier Brumby and Minister Batchelor have been lobbied for years on climate change, with petitions, letters, personal visits and rallies, and we have only seen them continue to support the coal industry, while large scale solar power enterprises like the Solar Systems plant in Abbortsford go under. It is for these reasons people are increasingly prepared to take actions of the type we saw at the Hazelwood community protest on September 13, 2009. Threatening draconian jail terms and massive financial penalties is not the way to engage with a community campaign on climate change.”

“We will be talking with legal professionals to see what this could mean for our ability to hold peaceful community protests at the many polluting coal fire power stations in our state,” concluded Louise Morris.

During the historic Switch off Hazelwood, Switch on Renewables day of community protest and civil disobedience twenty two brave souls managed to climb the fences around Hazelwood to hand over their 'Community Decommission Orders.'

In the process of doing this they were arrested and charged with tresspass. While their day in court is bound to be some way off, there is a way we can all support these people...by donating to help cover their pending fines for trespass.

The maximum penalty for tresspass is $1,000.00 not a massive amount of money, but enough to burn a hole in the pockets of many of us who do not have a lot of money - as we have spent much of it campaigning for climate protection.

Help the Hazelwood 22 by donating to cover their legal costs through the Switch off Hazelwood bank account. All proceeds will be evenly distributed to those arrested.

(Age letter to the editor) September 15, 2009

AS ONE of the organisers of the protest at Hazelwood power station on Sunday, I'd like to clarify misconceptions about the action and its message. It is possible to replace coal-fired energy with existing renewable energy technology.