Yesterday at the Mullumbimby Court House local resident Ms Wilkinson had her case heard following her arrest and charges on April 17, 2024, during a protest against the approved Wallum housing development in Brunswick Heads.
After pleading guilty, the charges were dismissed, with no fine and no conviction recorded according to a Save Wallum spokesperson.
‘This welcome ruling came on National Day of Protest Rights, an event organised by Australian Democracy Network, the Human Rights Law Centre and Amnesty International Australia,’ they said.
Ms Wilkinson said that ‘in times when legal avenues have been exhausted and so much is at stake, it becomes a duty to raise our voices in protest. As a young person deeply concerned about the environment, I felt compelled to act.’
The Humans Rights Law Centre has released a Declaration of our Right to Protest and is encouraging organisations to sign on. To date the Declaration has been endorsed by 138 civil society organisations including the Bob Brown Foundation, Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia, and Amnesty International Australia.
A spokesperson from the Humans Rights Law Centre said, “Australia has a long and proud history of protest leading to significant changes. The Declaration of our Right to Protest asserts the fundamental right to protest and outlines the standards that all government agencies must uphold. The Declaration is grounded in human rights law and was produced by the Human Rights Law Centre, with support from the Australian Democracy Network and in collaboration with grassroots activists and experts across the continent.”
Locally, those involved with Save Wallum have largely been happy with the courts’ treatment of protestors with the majority of arrestees leaving court without convictions due to their excellent character, employment and education in regards to environmental issues.
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