The Trojan horse: the Right to Farm Bill 2019
The right to protest is fundamental to a healthy democracy and our ability to stand up for nature, but that right is under threat from a bill now before the NSW Parliament. [1]
The offending Bill is the 'Right to Farm Bill 2019'. Under the guise of targeting animal welfare activists from trespassing on farms, hidden within Schedule 2 of the Bill is a more sinister and broad threat to our democracy.
The Berejiklian government bill massively increases the penalty for ‘aggravated unlawful entry on inclosed lands’ from $5,500 to $22,000 and three years imprisonment. This means if anyone protests on land with a defined boundary (e.g. any building, a forestry coups with a fence, land for coal or gas mining, work-sites etc) and hinder a business in the process, they now face jail and massively disproportionate fines.
It was only 2016 that the NSW Government increased fines for the exact same offence from $550 to $5,500. This followed a momentous reaction from unions, civil liberties groups & environmentalists all united in opposition, organising protests outside parliament and rallying massive public engagement.
This time round, the lack of media and public engagement is no coincidence. These sneaky amendments are masked behind the broadness of the Bill. MP's and civil society groups haven't realised that the bill moves beyond agriculture, and is an attack on one of the cornerstones of a functioning democracy - the right to protest.
If this bill passes, it could mean farmers who oppose coal and gas projects, communities protesting logging in state forests, or even someone who stages a silent protest in a bank in Sydney, could face three years jail and massive fines.
Under these laws, the famous Bentley Blockade which stopped coal seam gas in northern NSW may never have happened.
Under these laws, if someone wants to peacefully protest against loggers chopping down old growth forests when there is a fence around the area, they could be jailed.
Under these laws, if some protesters shut down a bank building for an hour to protest their investments in fossil fuels, they could face jail and massive fines.
This bill moves way beyond environmental protests. It could impact union officials who try to stop dangerous practices on work-sites.
Peaceful protest is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, but these sneaky new laws directly threaten that right in NSW.
The NSW Government plans to silence us and stop us from protecting nature. But we will not be silenced.
References
[1] NSW farm trespass bill criticised for turning into a crackdown on the right to protest, The Guardian, 25 September 2019.
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