Hinchinbrook protesters assaulted
By Tim Walgers
BRISBANE — On September 14, a group of around 60 protesters and media representatives were physically attacked by Port Hinchinbrook development site workers and supporters of the project.
The violence erupted after a week of peaceful protests by environmental groups in opposition to the dredging of World Heritage-listed Hinchinbrook Channel, which lies next to the development site.
The long campaign to protect Hinchinbrook has involved both protests at the development site and legal battles in the Federal Court.
Hinchinbrook is home to many native animals, including the dugong, which is critically endangered.
In an attempt to stop the dredging of the channel, water-borne blockades have been carried out by various environmental groups including the Wilderness Society, Australian Conservation Foundation, Friends of Hinchinbrook and the North Queensland Conservation Council.
The actions by the conservationists have been non-violent, although protesters have received death threats from supporters of the resort.
After the September 14 violence, protesters lodged a complaint with the Criminal Justice Commission relating to the "failure of the police to act in the interests of public safety and intervene in the assaults that were perpetrated on a number of people in the Queensland State Marine Park at Oyster Point".
The complaint included an initial list of 20 witnesses to the confrontation and the types of evidence that would be presented to the commission.
In response to accusations of trespass, the protesters maintain that they were peacefully walking and singing inside the marine park, which shares a boundary with the resort site and that they remained at all times within the park.
The group, which included children, elderly people and a pregnant woman, was assaulted in full view of police.
Even the pro-resort Townsville Bulletin came out in favour of the protesters' right to demonstrate and accused the police of doing the community a great disservice by their failure to protect the protesters.
The Labor candidate for the state seat of Townsville, Mike Reynolds, has called upon police minister Russel Cooper to suspend Inspector Jim Stackpoole, who was in charge of the operation, pending a CJC inquiry.
Protesters have vowed to keep the campaign going. Further actions are planned and activists are calling for people to join the blockade.