Australia: Two more articles on Activist Blockade Raid in Tasmania

Police used a crane to try to remove an activist from a tree, but she
escaped by climbing higher. Police say it is now safe for timber
workers to start clearing the activists’ blockade. Five activists are
still in tree sits, but Inspector Glen Wooley says they are not in the
way. “If there’s no logging operations being done in that area and
it’s only roadworks, then that’s not going to impact on their safety
at all,” he said.

Police say they will be at the valley tomorrow
morning for a planned community walk through the area. Steve Whiteley
from Forestry Tasmania says it may be a while before there is a road
leading to a 50-hectare coupe earmarked for logging. Mr Whitely says
it may take some time before roadworks start. “If we were to build
some roads it will be some weeks, we obviously need to build roads in
the dry season,” he said. He says 10 to 20 per cent of the timber will
make high quality sawlogs, with the rest to be used as low grade
timber and woodchips.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/13/2465206.htm?section=business

A forest activist who spent one night in a tunnel in Tasmania’s Upper
Florentine Valley has been arrested. Police talked the man into giving
himself up after his health started to deteriorate. They say his blood
pressure was rising and he was dehydrated. The man was one of several
protesters still trying to prevent road works in the area. Police have
scrapped plans to remove the five protesters staging tree-sits because
of safety concerns.

Earlier police using a crane tried to remove a
woman from a tree, but she escaped by climbing higher. Police say that
road works can go ahead in the area, despite the tree-sits. The Police
Minister Jim Cox says the Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim should
try to persuade the remaining activists to call off the protest. “If
those five are still there then I do think Mr Mckim has a role to play
because it would be very helpful if those five could move on, and I
think Mr Mckim has the power to persuade them,” he said.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/13/2465003.htm

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