VIOLENCE AGAINST FOREST PROTESTERS IN EAST GIPPSLAND Tue, 22 Feb 2000 ================================================ Eyewitnesses have recently returned from the Goolengook forest, where violent assaults took place last night (midnight Monday 21 Feb). Here is a summary of what took place: * 50 loggers, including their male children, ambushed a camp of three conservationists. One person was set upon by thirty loggers and beaten with iron bars and lumps of wood. * Eight people who were tipped off by someone who saw the 15 cars going past, went to Goolengook with an independent cameraperson. They were set upon by the loggers. The cameraman escaped and dived into the bush after being king hit from behind. The other occupants of the car were frog marched out of the car, one man was hit with a hammer repeatedly thru the window of the car, a woman was stabbed with an iron bar. They were thrown into a ditch and made to sit with their heads down on the ground while the men were beaten. The women were threatened with rape while three men were bashed with iron bars and lumps of wood. One man suffered head injuries and his legs were hit with iron bars - he is still in hospital. * The cameraman's car was smashed with ironbars, rocks and lumps of wood. Every panel was smashed and every window broken before it was turned on its side. Another car and a motorbike were also destroyed and everything in the camp was smashed. * When they heard the police arriving all 15 cars left. * Audio and photos are available More details GECO: 03 51540156 -- O t w a y s R a n g e s E n v i r o n m e n t N e t w o r k An affilliation of Otway's residents, regional and Victorian conservation groups, Community groups and campus conservation networks [EMAIL PROTECTED] (OREN Propaganda) WEB SITE http://www.oren.org.au DO NOT assume that any act of damage to logging equipment or logging infrastructure is done by conservationists or members of anti - logging groups. - Victorian Police (internal memo) -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
