Nationwide rallies call on Labor to protect native forests, biodiversity

November 3, 2024

Issue

Protecting forests is climate action, Magan-djin/Brisbane rally for native forests. Photo: Alex Bainbridge

Thousands of people rallied around the country in 12 locations on November 3 to demand that native forests be preserved.

Orleigh Park in West End was the site of a 200-strong forest rally in Magan-djin/Brisbane. “The main message today is to end native forest logging all over Australia,” spokesperson Nell Schofield told Green Left.

The rallies were organised by the Bob Brown Foundation (BBF).

Schofield said that we’re in an overlapping “extinction crisis, climate crisis and economic crisis”.

“Now we’re seeing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that haven’t been seen for two million years” so “we’re messing with something we don't understand,” she said.

The main banner at the rally read “Protecting forests = climate action”, highlighting the important link between stopping logging of native forests and reducing carbon emissions.

Campaigners at the rally also called for an end to logging in the Deongwar State Forest.

More than 700 people rallied in Mullumbimby.

Philippa Skinner reports that 2000 people rallied on Parliament House lawns in nipaluna/Hobart to call for an end to native forest logging.

Speakers included Jenny Weber from BBF who initiated the national protests, Andrew Wilkie, Bob Brown, Christine Milne, and 12-year-old Gracie.

Susie Russell, an activist from North East Forest Alliance (NSW) recounted her experience of being arrested while engaged in a protest in the Bulga State Forest in January and the unjust protest laws which mean that forest protestors face steep fines and potential imprisonment for undertaking peaceful protest.

Activists held a banner expressing solidarity with Uncle Jim Everett Puralia Meenamatta, who was arrested protesting logging of old growth forest by Forestry Tasmania on his 82nd birthday.

Jim McIlroy reports from Gadigal Country/Sydney that several hundred people rallied at Sydney Town Hall.

“Australia is one of the world’s richest biodiversity hotspots, but also one of the world's biodiversity extinction hotspots,” ecologist and environmental activist Mark Graham, told a rally of several hundred at Sydney Town Hall Square on November 3.

Dr Phil Bylstra, fire behaviour scientist, addressed the crowd, saying: “Forests don’t need us to survive bushfires. Recent bushfires are orders of magnitude bigger than before.

“Forest logging is driving our bushfire crisis. We need to fundamentally change how we manage our forests in order to combat future bushfires,” Bylstra said.

Other speakers included Kate Carroll, from the National Parks Association, Greens MLC Cate Faerhmann and Doro Babeck, from the Bob Brown Foundation.

Emily Mitchell from Rising Tide called on everyone to join the coal port blockade in Newcastle Harbour, November 22–24.