Time to cool it!

Time to cool it!
by Bob Gordon, Managing Director, Forestry Tasmania

A photo of two aggressive activists clad in balaclavas has brought into sharp focus a real need for forestry workers to keep a cool head during this summer protest season.



For many Tasmanians, the photo published in the local press was something of a shock. Many had no idea of the tactics employed by activists at these protest sites.

The organisers of the Huon Valley Environment Centre promote these protests as peaceful and non-violent, and to support the claim usually provide television stations with carefully constructed footage. The footage aired on television normally features a few comments from a well groomed articulate spokesperson, but never activists wearing balaclavas swearing at FT staff.

Consequently, the public has been misled into believing these protests are safe, peaceful and controlled.

Since the photo of the activists was published, my staff have been fielding a number of public enquiries about the nature of these protests and I’ll attempt to answer some of those questions here.

Were the activists wearing balaclavas because it was cold? The photograph was taken on a hot summer day, with the temperature in the mid to high 20s – classic t-shirt and shorts weather.

Is it normal for activists to wear balaclavas?

It is not unusual for activists to attempt to conceal their identity, particularly those that have previously been convicted for unlawful activity. While it might have been the first time the public has seen this part of the activists’ routine, it is a familiar sight to those Forestry Tasmania staff, who deal with these unlawful activities. Staff always find dealing with those in balaclavas unsettling, because they can never be sure who they are confronting. It is particularly unsettling when they are encountered in the dark.

Why are anti-forestry protestors cutting down trees?

Extreme elements in the anti-forestry movement like to convince themselves that their actions are justifiable even when they are illegal and contradictory. It is incredibly hypocritical of course to be cutting down trees while at the same time claiming to protect them. They use young trees to build tripods in order to stage their protest for the media and block roads.

How many activists are there?

Although, the group generates a great deal of publicity, their numbers are relatively small. Our experience shows that the same handful of activists are involved in the majority of protests. Given the relatively low level of support within Tasmania, the activists often bring in people from other states to bolster their numbers, particularly in the summer months when the weather is fine.

Are these protests peaceful and non-violent?

It depends to some degree on the definition of peaceful and non-violent. In most cases, the language used by activists could not be described as peaceful and non-violent. Usually, officers attending the protests are subjected to a stream of abuse containing colourful and confronting language.

The activists use a number of quite sophisticated booby traps to make it difficult to free them without causing physical injury to the activists themselves. To deal with these devices, it is necessary to bring in police and others with expertise. A great deal of care is taken to extricate activists from tripods and tree sits, sometimes 30 to 40 metres off the ground. In my view, putting rescuers in a position where there is a high risk of causing physical injury to themselves and others is neither peaceful, nor non–violent, and it certainly is not legal.

How dangerous are these events for forestry staff, police, contractors and police rescue workers?

These events are extremely dangerous for everyone including activists. Our negotiators do a fantastic job in maintaining the peace, under extraordinarily stressful situations. The language used by activists is extremely provacative and need to be handled with a great deal of care to avoid situations getting out of control. Police are often required to abseil from helicopters into tree sits to remove the activists and that is not safe, not to mention expensive for taxpayers. The tree sits and tripods constructed by activists would not meet safety standards, and so far off the ground, a wrong move could result in serious injury or death.

How are these activists getting away with it?

They don’t. Members of the small group of activists are often charged and appear in court. On occasions, they will also be asked to pay the costs of any damage they have caused. It is frustrating that some choose to re-offend. Forestry Tasmania supports free speech and the right to protest. It does not support illegal and dangerous behaviour. We have been seeking for the past 12 months constructive dialogue with the environmental movement in the hope that agreement can be reached on ways these groups can have their say - legally and without endangering themselves and others.

In a modern democracy, there are many, many ways that people can voice their opinion. Police have a strong track record of assisting groups hold legal and peaceful protests and demonstrations. The media is amenable to providing coverage for all sorts of groups with a cause to push. The list of communications tools available to activists is endless. Why they choose to use illegal and dangerous activity remains a mystery. There is no simple way of making activists respect the law, police, and the courts. There is no simple way of tackling recidivism, but we do have a duty of care to continue to explore all options to ensure lawlessness does not endanger our workers, contractors, police, protesters and others working legally in the forest.

It’s time for the more responsible environmentalists to show leadership. Wearing balaclavas in the middle of summer can cause hot heads. It’s time to cool it!
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