Three Valley arrests after Launceston climate demo
Rohan Swinsburg from Deloraine (right) was arrested at the June World Environment Day demonstration. Photo by Lucas Marik.
Sharon Webb
Three Meander Valley residents were recently arrested in their desperate bid to bring global warming to public attention.
Helen Hutchinson of Western Creek, Freya Cooper of Mayberry and Rohan Swinsburg of Deloraine were arrested on World Environment Day in June when they refused to move from St John Street in Launceston after an Extinction Rebellion demonstration. They will attend court on July 14.
Helen Hutchinson said, ‘There’s nothing left for us to do but get arrested. We go through all the normal actions a citizen can do, talk to politicians, write to newspapers, but the media only seem to pay attention when we get arrested’.
Ms Hutchinson said there was no reason why Tasmania could not be 100 per cent electric. ‘Instead, we’re cutting down our forests and importing $1b of fuel a year. It’s crazy and I’m doing something crazy in response.’
Launceston College student Rohan Swinsburg said he was arrested to take a stand on environmental issues. ‘I regard this as a serious issue that I’m committed to,’ he said.
It’s likely the demonstrators will be fined.
