Chris Dobney
It took four police to drag a 25-year-old social worker from the path of a moving vehicle at Doubtful Creek CSG protest site yesterday.
Meanwhile, at Glenugie, two women have this morning been forcibly removed by police after a locking-on to a truck at the gates of that test site in an attempt to block the departure of Metgasco vehicles.
A man is believed to still be locked inside a cage in the ‘modified Mad Max-style vehicle’, which is still locked to the gate, according to one of the protesters there.
Yesterday 25-year-old social worker Culley Palmer (pictured) was arrested at Doubtful Creek as he attempted to block the path of a truck into Metgasco’s test-well site near Kyogle.
It was the third arrest of the day as police arrived in force to clear the way for Metgasco’s transfer of a drill rig and other equipment to the site.
Mr Palmer was charged with disobey a reasonable direction and was refused bail. He will appear at Casino Local Court tomorrow.
Earlier in the day, 55-year-old Githabul elder Uncle Kevin Boota was issued a criminal infringement notice for offensive conduct after he remonstrated with police.
And as reported in Echonetdaily yesterday, 39-year-old Githabul man from Byron Bay, Kamallie Monsell, was charged with two counts of resist/hinder police in the execution of their duty.
Mr Monsell was released after appearing at Lismore Local Court yesterday.
Witnesses told Echonetdaily Monsell was spitting into his hand to mix with ochre he was planning to apply to his body at the time of his arrest.
Local resident Dean Draper told Echonetdaily this morning that police have vacated the site overnight and two security guards could not gain access after being turned back by the blockade.
About 80 local residents and CSG opponents are at the Doubtful Creek site this morning.
Protesters are expecting the arrival of Metgasco’s drill rig tomorrow.
I believe that this is elder uncle kevin bootha in the picture
Police Code of Conduct is not being followed!
An employee of NSW Police must:
1 behave honestly and in a way that upholds the values and the
good reputation of NSW Police whether on or off duty
2 act with care and diligence when on duty
3 know and comply with all policies, procedures and guidelines
that relate to their duties
4 treat everyone with respect, courtesy and fairness
5 comply with any lawful and reasonable direction given by
someone in NSW Police who has authority to give the direction
6 comply with the law whether on or off duty
7 take reasonable steps to avoid conflicts of interest, report those
that can not be avoided and co-operate in their management
Now is the time to act. If there is going to be any chance of putting a stop to these greedy CSG companies, then anyone that is an opponent of their actions must protest. I urge you to step out of the box and challenge your own assumptions about who you really are, and why you do what you do. Circumstances don’t determine who you are they reveal who you are. This is an opportunity for transition. Show up, be peaceful, be counted.
Elders being arrested on their ancestral land. Riot squad sent in to disrupt peaceful protest, which is our right!. What a disgrace! It’s not a riot it is peoples right to dissent.
Our Government has gone too far. It’s time the PM and Federal Govt stepped in and stopped this outrageous vandalism of our environment. The people have clearly spoken