In what may have been Narrabri Local Court’s busiest day in history, over 100 cases against protesters were heard on Tuesday.
Charges included trespass and hindering the working of mining equipment, following the activists’ actions against the Maules Creek coal mine in the Leard State Forest and Santos’ coal seam gas operation in the Pilliga.
Many of the protesters were not required to appear in court, with a solicitor entering pleas on their behalf.
Some have pleaded guilty and others not guilty to the range of charges.
Most of the cases were brought about after a mass protest in the Leard State Forest in March, when over 100 people from the Leard Forest Alliance entered Whitehaven’s Maules Creek coal mine site, some of whom scaled mining equipment.
Sitting outside court on Tuesday were representatives from the ‘Knitting Nannas’ group which “peacefully and productively protest against the destruction of our land and water by exploration and mining of unconventional gas and other non-renewable energy sources”.
Four members of the group who sat outside court knitting, Sarah Sargan (Sydney), Pat Schultz (Armidale), Roselyn Druce (Maules Creek) and Daniel Taylor (Melbourne), were among the people listed for mention in court on charges relating to the Maules Creek and Pilliga
protests.
Others in the group said they had simply travelled to Narrabri to support those who were facing charges.
“I think it’s sad that people are being pushed to actually break the law for the environment,” said Kerri Clarke, of Uralla.
“I don’t agree with people trying to protect the environment being arrested.”
Another member, Felicity Davis of Sydney, said: “I think we’re in the dark ages at the moment. We’re going to look back on this [mining] and go ‘my god, what were they thinking?’”
Solicitor Peter Long of Gunnedah is representing 53 of the accused.
Charges included trespass and hindering the working of mining equipment, following the activists’ actions against the Maules Creek coal mine in the Leard State Forest and Santos’ coal seam gas operation in the Pilliga.
Many of the protesters were not required to appear in court, with a solicitor entering pleas on their behalf.
Some have pleaded guilty and others not guilty to the range of charges.
Most of the cases were brought about after a mass protest in the Leard State Forest in March, when over 100 people from the Leard Forest Alliance entered Whitehaven’s Maules Creek coal mine site, some of whom scaled mining equipment.
Sitting outside court on Tuesday were representatives from the ‘Knitting Nannas’ group which “peacefully and productively protest against the destruction of our land and water by exploration and mining of unconventional gas and other non-renewable energy sources”.
Four members of the group who sat outside court knitting, Sarah Sargan (Sydney), Pat Schultz (Armidale), Roselyn Druce (Maules Creek) and Daniel Taylor (Melbourne), were among the people listed for mention in court on charges relating to the Maules Creek and Pilliga
protests.
Others in the group said they had simply travelled to Narrabri to support those who were facing charges.
“I think it’s sad that people are being pushed to actually break the law for the environment,” said Kerri Clarke, of Uralla.
“I don’t agree with people trying to protect the environment being arrested.”
Another member, Felicity Davis of Sydney, said: “I think we’re in the dark ages at the moment. We’re going to look back on this [mining] and go ‘my god, what were they thinking?’”
Solicitor Peter Long of Gunnedah is representing 53 of the accused.