Local musos rally anti protest laws
BY CHRISTOPHER HARRIS
A local band from the inner west will hold a fundraising night to help support environmental activists in the North West of the state who are protesting CSG mining in the region.
Mark Lucas, whose band the Dead Setters will be performing on the night, said it was important that the activists were supported.
He said that he was particularly angered by anti environmental protesting laws past by the Baird Government. Mr Lucas told City Hub that there were already sufficient laws to deal with protestors who happened to be posing a threat to themselves or others, and that he suspected the government had ulterior reasons for passing the legislation.
“The science is well proved that CSG is detrimental to the pillaga, and there is a threat to the great artisanal basin, and santos is pushing ahead with projects in north west NSW.”
He said supporting the protestors was also about being part of a real democracy.
“I feel fairly strongly that in functional democracy that we all need to play our part and that protesting has legs,” he said.
“The government in NSW is so in bed with these people, there are so many hands in so many people’s pockets, there are a lot of people have a great deal to gain, by perpetuating the myth of fossil fuels being t”he future.
“The reason there has not been renewable energy is because there is so much money and influence in politics.It is completely unsustainable.”
He said the fact that police cars in the North Western NSW bared a Santos logo on the sides was troubling for protestors. He said it was a bigger concern following the anti protest laws which had passed through parliament last month.
They are talking up safety issues, and there are plenty of powers to stop demonstrators who are putting themselves and others in halm’s way
He said that he had concerns for other protest movements closer to home in regards to the laws.
“It is not just environmental activists on the Pilaga, it will effect Reclaim the Streets, and protests about development.”
