24 September 2019
Farm Bill attacks civil liberties and protest rights
The Berejiklian government has introduced a Bill to NSW Parliament that will significantly restrict people’s civil liberties and their rights to peaceful protest.
Called the Right to Farm Bill, it massively increases the penalty for ‘aggravated unlawful entry on inclosed lands’ from $5,500 to $22,000 or 3 years imprisonment or both.
“This is completely disproportionate response and a clear attempt to shut down dissent everywhere,” Nature Conservation Council Chief Executive Chris Gambian said.
“This is an illiberal attack on our democratic right to protest and should not be allowed to become law.”
“Peaceful protest is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy but hidden within this bill are sneaky new laws which directly threaten that right in NSW.
“This goes way beyond just animal welfare activists on farms.
“These new laws could see farmers who oppose coal and gas projects, communities who protest logging, or even someone who stages a silent protest in a bank in Sydney, face up to three years jail and massive fines.
“It is outrageous that the government have tried to hide their intentions in an agricultural bill when this is a clear attempt from the government to shut down dissent everywhere.
“The provisions of the bill will capture anyone hindering any business anywhere where they are also trespassing.
“This includes farmers and knitting nannas protesting CSG, unions on worksites, communities protesting against logging in state forests, people staging a sit-in in corporate headquarters of a company, and more."
Tags
Forests and wildlifePlanning and DevelopmentClimate and energyNSW ParliamentRivers and wetlandsUraniumCoal and gas
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