LOOKING FOR A STINK
SO NOW green activists are using human waste to # StopAdani. A man, 25, was fined last Friday for urinating in front of police at the Disney cattle station south of Belyando Crossing.
This is the same site where workers discovered a human poo floating in a 1000- litre petrol tank a couple of weeks ago.
Like naughty toddlers or zoo animals, the activists are now flinging poo in addition to their chanting and screaming to get their points across.
As normal everyday North Queenslanders, we should be appalled, but don’t be surprised.
Just last month, Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale warned – promised – this would happen.
“If we can’t stop it in the Parliament, we’ll stop it by standing in front of those bulldozers,” he told Sky News. “It won’t go ahead, I’m very confident of that.”
The senator went on to declare activists were prepared to be arrested to stop the mine.
Since that proclamation, we’ve seen 4km of fencing pushed over, a misguided young man climb a pole and refuse to come down and homehaircut women chain themselves to a fence with a bike lock.
This is in addition to the various sit- ins and attempted sit- ins at Adani’s South Townsville HQ.
Workers conducting early site works for the Galilee rail line out west have been threatened and told in no uncertain terms that the activists are just getting started.
Police have decided they’ve had enough of responding to calls to disperse ferals, only to arrive a few minutes after the activists have scampered back to their camps.
It turns out activists are placing spotter vehicles up the highway and give their mates a few minutes’ heads- up on the fuzz’s arrival.
In fact, it is becoming apparent – especially in recent days – that the protesters are not even interested in clashing with police, or even disrupting Adani.
As a media organisation, we here at the Bulletin see the true goal of the greenies laid bare every afternoon when their professionally written media releases, complete with edited video and high- resolution photos, hit the inbox. Publicity. Stunts. Propaganda. It’s a brilliant strategy and it’s working a treat in the resourcestarved newsrooms of the fringe and online media. Supplied vision is like gold dust in regional TV newsrooms and the packages they receive require little editing before broadcast.
This is how Channel 7 Mackay last month ended up broadcasting a story about dead sharks found on a beach having died from “coal contamination” from nearby Hay Point, according to the activist quoted. There was no other qualifying commentary. Flake news at its worst. Workers at Belyando tell us activists often disperse on their own. Well, as soon as they’ve shot their videos, taken photos and changed poses a few times with the changing light.
With the “bike lock” stunt last week, two different women were pictured chained to the same fence with the same lock at different times.
They had clearly unlocked the first woman and let another person have a go at sharing her “struggle”.
Remember the geniuses who chained themselves to earthmoving machinery out there about a month ago? Among them was former Townsville Greens leader Gail Hamilton, who told the Bulletin the prospect of Adani proceeding made her “scared for her kids”.
Interesting, coming from a passionate anti- vaxxer.
The stunt lasted a few hours but most unchained themselves immediately when the coppers arrived. Their work was done – attention sought and achieved.
That’s why I was pleased to read yesterday that Mackay police have had enough and will now be prosecuting all protesters instead of issuing “move on” directions.
Yesterday members of the, wait for it, “Australian Religious Response to Climate Change” were fined for a protest at the site. Excellent.
I was proud to hear from a South Townsville business owner last week who told me he’d shooed away Stop Adani ferals who tried to “stickerbomb” his premises.
He also said he had done a lap of Palmer St late one night and removed every sticker and antiAdani poster he could find. Bravo.
Respectful protest is a terrific part of what makes Australia great and North Queenslanders respect activists’ right to promote a message.
But activists should also respect the opinions of most North Queenslanders, who support Adani, can’t wait for it to begin and are getting a little tired of the jobwrecking # StopAdani agenda being rammed down their throats.