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9/5/2009 CONSERVATIONIST BAILED UNDER VIRTUAL HOUSE ARREST

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The protester who chained her self to a truck carrying pulp
logs from the Upper Florentine has been charged and bailed. Bridget Gattenby,
21 of Mountain River was charged with public nuisance
and obstructing a road. Her bail conditions prevent her from leaving her
familly home between the hours of 7am and 3pm daily and state that she may have
to present herself to police if requested to do so. 

 

"Tasmania
police continue to show the public whose interests they really represent.
By enforcing heavy handed and over the top bail conditions on peaceful
protesters the police are clearly acting in the interest of Forestry Tasmania
and Gunns limited. This is an attempt by Tasmania
police to try stamp out peaceful protests in the Upper Florentine by trying to
make it hard as possible for peaceful protesers to conduct their
activities." Said spokesperson Ed Hill

 

"I'm virtually under house arrest. I thought that bail
conditions like the ones i have were only used on serious criminals who pose a
threat to society, not peaceful demonstrators who are actually trying to bring
positive change which will benefit the whole commmunity. These bail
conditions are obvioulsy politically motivated, I pose no threat to
society and do don't deserve to be under virtual house arrest.Tasmania
police seem to be more interested in protecting the profits of Gunns Ltd than
acting in the public interest." Said Bridget Gattenby.

 

"What we are seeing here is an obvious step up in the
appraoch of Tasmania
police in relation to bail conditions. On Wednesday 5 people were arrested and
recieved various heavy handed conditions such as curfew's and daily reports to
the police. Today they placed a bright young woman with vision for
our future under virtual house arrest. This has obviously been a concerted
decision from police to step up their attack on environmentalists. David
Bartlett is using the police force as his own privated forest millitia to
oversee the annihalation of our remaing areas of old growth forest." Said
Ed Hill

 

"Tasmania
police refused to investigate an alledged assault by a Forestry Tasmania
employee on Wednesday. It is unacceptable that the police wont even investigate
an assault committed by Forestry Tasmania yet they are happy to place a
peaceful protester who poses no threat to society under virtual house
arrest." Said spokesperson Ed Hill