GO FUND MY PROTEST
Gold Coast activist wants our cash to cover fines and keep protesting
A GOLD Coast protester involved in sit-ins at farms and abattoirs is fundraising to cover fines from a previous protest at Sea World.
Angela Banovic, who lives on the Gold Coast, shared a video yesterday of a group of 20 protesters invading a Carey Bros Abattoir at Yangan, near Warwick.
Ms Banovic – who was fined $783 for disrupting the dolphin show in December – can’t pay the fine due to overseas activism trips.
A GLOBE-TROTTING Gold Coast protester involved in sit-ins at farms and abattoirs is fundraising money to cover fines from a previous protest at Sea World.
Angela Banovic, who lives on the Gold Coast, shared a video yesterday of a group of 20 protesters invading a Carey Bros Slaughterhouse at Yangan, near Warwick.
According to her public social media posts this is not the first time Ms Banovic has been involved in activist disruptions.
In December last year Ms Banovic, by her own admission, was one of the individuals fined for disrupting the dolphin show at Sea World.
Unable to afford the $783 fine due to overseas activism trips to Japan and Mexico, Ms Banovic has been fundraising to cover the charges.
“I have put myself into debt and spent all my money on activism in the past 4 months – flights for my attempt to re-enter Japan to be a voice for the dolphin in Taiji, QLD for the sunrise at Sea World event and flights etc to Mexico spending 2.5 months on campaign on the M/V Sharpie. I have then borrowed money to move to QLD,” she posted.
“I would do it again!,” she brags in the post.
“We managed to disrupt 3 SeaWorld shows in total. We made history and actually STOPPED the show!”
Ms Banovic has only been able to raise 50 per cent of the funds owed for her fine.
According to those on the scene of the protests on the Darling Downs yesterday, a group of 20 protesters only left the Carey Bros Abattoir when they were given three sheep. A further 200 protesters were gathered outside.
“We negotiated the rescue of three lambs and there was no charge,” Ms Banovic posted online.
“We left pretty soon after negotiations and we arranged collection of the 3 lambs and walked behind the car.”
According to employees the protesters drove away with the sheep in the back of a small hatchback.
Ms Banovic would not address questions asking what the group intended to do with the animals.
Freestone dairy farmers were also faced by the protesters, who were handling calves outside the paddock.
“We had three calves on the road and tried to get them back into the paddock but people were standing around and chased them into the fence,” Freestone Dairy farmer Phil Christensen said.
“I started yelling out to them. They ... haven’t experienced life yet or understand what we do, we care for our animals.
“Maybe we should come to the Gold Coast and the city to protest them.”
According to Ms Banovic she was also prevented from entering Japan in August 2018.
In 2016 she moved to Coffs Harbour to protest the Dolphin Marine Magic Conservation Park.
Ms Banovic would not respond to requests for comment and blocked the Bulletin on Facebook.
A spokesman for Village Roadshow said Coast theme parks are on alert for further protests.