Remember Bentley, near Lismore, in 2014? Do you know what happened at Terania Creek, again near Lismore, or the Franklin River in Tasmania?
These are just a few protests that were successful . They prevented disaster, changed public opinion and persuaded those who make the rules.
The ongoing humanity project on planet Earth seems to involve oppression, ‘progress’ and protests that are sparked generally by civil rights and environmental issues.
And all protest movements, especially civil rights ones, are led by those fearless in the face of jail or death. Imagine if there was no fight for women’s suffrage?
Or if segregation in the US was still law, as it was in South Africa?
Wave Hill
In 1966, 200 Gurindji stockmen and their families walked off the Wave Hill pastoral station in the Northern Territory, protesting poor working conditions and low wages.
This sparked a seven-year land rights movement that led to the Labor Whitlam government returning over 3,000 square kilometres of land to the Gurindji people in 1976.
Tent Embassy
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established in 1972 to protest the lack of Indigenous land rights.
This protest outside federal Parliament House attracted widespread support and helped shift the Labor party towards greater action on Indigenous rights.
Mardi Gras
The first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in 1978 began as a protest march that was violently suppressed by police. While the march ended in arrests, it was a pivotal moment that galvanised the LGBTQ+ rights movement in Australia.
It’s reasonable to assume that those who were part of these protest movements were given friendly advice.
‘It’s best to negotiate’, a politician may have said. ‘It’s better to have something than nothing’.
Byron has a strong and long history of resisting inappropriate developments.
There is a reason you can’t get a Big Mac in Byron: McDonald’s wasn’t made welcome.
Paterson Hill
Paterson Hill in Byron Bay is another example of successful protest. The result saw an important space for the community retained.
The protests culminated in mass arrests in 1999 when over 60 people were detained for protesting a proposed housing development.
The developer, Detala eventually sold the land to the NSW government in 2004 and it was incorporated into the Arakwal National Park.
There is power in protest, and it works.
But in the case of Paterson Hill, Council was part of that protest and held strong with the community.
It’s a fair question to ask what local government support there is now for environmental protest.
Is claiming to being ‘pragmatic’ appropriate, and reflective of this community’s wishes in times of diminishing ecosystems?
Hans Lovejoy, editor
And the best that NSW Lab and LibNat can come up with is rounding up protestors, take them to Court and stick them with penalties of up to 2 years in jail, $20, 000 fine, or both.
Joachim old son, the problem with fanatical Greens like yourself is that in your weird outlook of the world, there is no accountability for illegal actions by protesters where the environment is concerned. Unlike the irresponsible Greens, both the Labor Party and the Coalition do take turns in running the country and for better or worse, have to uphold the law of the land, it is the law.
Keith, Keith, Keith, history has many examples of people taking dircet action to rebel against bad laws and succeeding in that direct action for the betterment of society.
On environment, we only have one home, Mother Earth, which is going to hell fast under the reign of the likes of the LabLibNat Fossil Fuel Cartel. The GBR is dying before our very eyes under the pressure of a record marine heatwave and another mass coral bleaching event – the 7th mass coral bleaching event since 1998. Congrats, NOT, Lab and LibNat.
Keith, on environment and your idea of complying with rubbish laws, George Monbiot once put is best, “Don’t be obedient”. Direct action by environment heroes, in the face of rubbish laws, saves the environment – as the heroes of Terrania Creek and Franklin River actions have shown.
Joachim old son, you and your Green rent a crowd make a lot of noise with absolutely nothing to back it up, and don’t lecture us on what is happening in the world regarding climate change. WE already know, that’s why WE have been trying to do something about it ever since Kevin Rudd in 2008 tried in vain to pass legislation to introduce the first carbon pricing legislation in the world, only to be blocked by of all people, the grandstanding Greens. Joachim my man, you and your Greens “foghorn experts” are on no position to be lecturing the ALP Govt. on taking affirmative action on climate change, get your own house in order first.
Thank you Hans for that little history lesson. Where the will of the people remains strong then usually that will leads to positive environmental and social outcomes. Activists show the way that needs to be followed so our planet can be healthy and society can be kind.