Abandoning Democracy: The militarisation against environmental activists in Australia

First Published October 2015

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me- and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoller- German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran Pastor (1892-1984)

Most people believe Australia to be a country with democratic freedoms and traditions. Indeed it is a country where people can build a life and ‘live the dream’. But sometimes cracks appear in long held beliefs and have us questioning everything. The thought that Australian governments would target law abiding citizens seems just too hard to believe. Just this year alone however, the authorities have been seen engaging in behaviours which would serve any despotic regime proud. Mature environmental activists have been targeted by politicians and police as a threat to public safety whilst knitting at a sit in protest. The federal government has proposed that environmental activists are as dangerous as terrorists in a recently released anti-radicalisation booklet for schools. It appears that in the current age, our federal and state governments ‘have come’ for environmentalists in Australia in the same manner the Nazis came for the people in Niemoller’s poem, and are seeking military solutions to deal with them.

We live in an age where people often wonder who is really ruling their respective countries. Rich multi-national corporations are often seen to have incredible leverage over governments. Mining companies in particular, wield considerable power. In Australia, several examples can be cited illustrating the power of the mining industry. Most recent and notable was the demise of Kevin Rudd in mid-2010 after he proposed a resource super profit tax. The mining industry spent over $22 million in six weeks on a media campaign against Kevin Rudd. The Minerals Council of Australia, spent $17.2 million, mainly on TV advertisements; BHP Billiton spent $4.2 million; Rio Tinto just over $537,000, and a smaller lobby group, the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, just under $274,000. In addition, several mining companies donated a further $1.9 million to the Liberal Party and the Nationals.[1]Rudd maintained "the need to demonstrate strength", to show Australians that their country was ruled by democratic government and traditions and not by mining companies. This move proved to be his nemesis. After an unrelenting campaign waged by the mining industry, Rudd was deposed by his own caucus and party.[2]

Mining companies have a long track record in interfering with democratic conventions. Most notable was the example in Bougainville. In 1975, Papua New Guinea gained independence from Australia. Bougainville had sought independence from Papua New Guinea. However, the Panguna Mine in operation since 1966, situated at the centre of Bougainville under the control of Bougainville Copper Ltd (BCL), a subsidiary of Conzinc Rio-Tinto of Australia (CRA), in turn a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Zinc (RTZ). RTZ, a British-based mining company, accounted for 45% of PNG's export earnings [3]

220 hectares of rainforest were destroyed and locals were displaced from their land. Dangerous chemicals including sulphur, arsenic, copper, zinc, cadmium and mercury and tailings were released into the river system rendering it biologically dead. Fish were found dead in the rivers and sea. Bougainville’s people demanded that the mine be closed to protect their land and, when ignored, took the matter into their own hands. This included a strikes, sit-down protests and ongoing claims for compensation. In retaliation, PNG sent in 1000 troops with orders to 'shoot to kill'. Ten years of fighting followed in which over 10,000 people died and human rights violations were committed against the people of Bougainville. Australian donated Iroquois helicopters shot civilians. Extra-judicial killings, abductions, destruction of villages and crops and forced removal of people followed.[4] These human rights violations are well documented by Amnesty International, the International Red Cross, the Australian International Development Bureau and Medecins sans Frontieres.[5] In 2011, popular current affairs programme Dateline uncovered claims from PNG's former Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, in 2001 court documents obtained by SBS Senior Correspondent Brian Thomson, that the PNG government was acting under instruction from mining giant Rio Tinto. Somare claimed the company, and its subsidiary Bougainville Copper Limited, effectively used its wealth to control the government.[6]

The people of Lismore, New South Wales are facing off against the prospect of a similar environmental catastrophe. Metgasgo, a coal seam gas mining company intend to use an unconventional method of gas extraction called ‘fracking’. Fracking involves the use of between two and five million gallons of locally sourced freshwater for each well which will be permanently contaminated by ground contaminants and toxic chemicals in the fracking fluid. Samples taken from fracking well sites in other parts of the world indicate that these permanent contaminants include formaldehyde, acetic acids, citric acids, boric acids and diesel. More than eight states in the United States have reported surface, ground and drinking water contamination due to fracking. In Pennsylvania alone, over 1,400 environmental violations have been attributed to deep gas wells utilising fracking practices.[7]

A tourism resort located in the Northern rivers Area west of Casino

There is overwhelming opposition to coal seam gas mining in Northern Rivers. At the 2012 council elections, 87% said they opposed CSG mining in the region. Now the opposition to CSG is estimated to be around 97%.Gasfield Free Northern Rivers spokesperson Dean Draper, said that Metgasgo had a history of ignoring the community opposition to fracking. He said, “From day one, Metgasgo has tried to run over the top of our community, repeatedly telling their shareholders that the opposition was small and at the same time begging [the state government]for large numbers of police to get its mining project in, effectively by martial law.” Draper was referring to Metgasgo recent demands that the NSW government provide it with police protection to move its seismic testing equipment.[8]

'Lock The Gate' was active in the fight against mining compnies in the Northern Rivers Area

Metgasgo recently announced it would be carrying out pre-fracking seismic tests in the Northern Rivers region. After this announcement, Lismore Council voted 5-2 to refuse access to the gas company’s equipment. Deputy mayor Simon Clough told ABC News that the council needed to remind Metgasgo of the community’s opposition to fracking in the Northern Rivers. He said, “It’s a strong practical measure…It’s saying that the council is prepared to take this matter further if necessary.”[9]

Police have been used in this standoff between Metgasgo and anti-CSG activists. Community group the Knitting Nannas Against Gas, were approached by three police officers in April of this year during a weekly "knit-in" outside the office of Lismore MP Thomas George and told that their protest they had held every Thursday for over three years might be illegal. Eltham Knitting Nanna Judy Summers said about 10 of the group had gathered just after 2pm when four police approached including Richmond Inspector Nicole Bruce, who allegedly said: "You're having an illegal protest and we've had complaints that you've been blocking the footpath". "She said we had no reason to be here as CSG is done and dusted…this is a warning” Ms Summers said.[10] Richmond Inspector Nicole Bruce refuted allegations of a post-election "crackdown". She said police were responding to single complaint had been made on the day by a member of the public.[11] Knitting Nanna Clare Twomey said police intervention had only served to fire them up. "We were all feeling a little bit flat after the election … then all of this excitement happened, it was great. It's just reinvigorated us now.”[12]

Photo Credit: Clare Twomey. Police approach the Knitting Nannas Against Gas in a sit in protest outside the Lismore Office of MP Thomas George

President of the Lismore branch of the National Party, John Barnes said the protest had become a threat to the public. "I tried to walk through there yesterday and they had chairs against the wall and also against the gutter on the footpath, and there were people standing around in between those rows of chairs…Had someone been there on crutches or say in a wheelchair, they would not have been able to get through.”[13]

Government officials in Australia are increasingly using dialogue to suggest that environmental activists are dangerous people or ‘a threat to the public’. Earlier this month, Federal MP Michael Keenan launched a 32-page Radicalisation Awareness Kit in the form of a booklet which included a series of examples and fictitious case studies illustrating circumstances in which young people can become radicalised. One example in the 'Violent Extremism' section tells the story of a girl called 'Karen' involved in the "alternative music scene, student politics and left-wing activism". 'Karen' according to the story, ends up sabotaging logging machinery and being arrested "on numerous occasions" while becoming "totally cut off from her family".[14]

Critics complained that the booklet was misleading and divisive. Jonathan La Nauze from the Australian Conservation Foundation said, "To link standing up for the places that we love, standing up for the future of our children, to violence and extremism and terrorism, does nothing to combat a real threat to the safety of people or to respect the very peaceful and very meaningful protests that people engage in from all walks of life to ensure that we have a safe future in this country." Maurie Mulheron, the president of the New South Wales Teachers' Federation said, "I think it's a fairly cynical move by the Federal Government not to make anyone feel safer but to engender fear and intolerance…I'm very doubtful that the Federal Government has pure motives in this area.”[15]

In defence of the booklet, Michael Keenan said, "We wanted to explain to teachers who are really on the frontline of this - because we know that school children are being radicalised - to look out for certain signs that would lead them to be concerned about somebody, and if they are concerned about somebody moving down the dark path of radicalisation, moving down the path of violence, then they'll know what they can do about it."[16]

To label environmental activists as ‘violent extremists’ at a time when Australians are clearly concerned at the actions of Middle Eastern terrorists indoctrinating school children in their own country is clearly an attempt to engender fear and mistrust of environmental activists in communities throughout Australia. It is an attempt to label them as dangerous and unstable people. It is in fact, a form of psychological war. The US Military Psychological Operations Field Manual provides insight into the way this kind of war is waged:

“Commanders plan PSYOP to convey selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, objective reasoning and ultimately, the behaviour of foreign governments, organizations, groups and individuals.” One US colonel said, “Psychological operations…have proven to be indispensable…it allowed us to apply a type of power without necessarily having to shoot bullets.”[17]

But how long does it take for psychological war to escalate into overt military solutions used by the State? Our nearest neighbour New Zealand, which shares similar historical, political and cultural traditions to Australia has witnessed firsthand how quickly this transition can take place. On October 15, 2007, heavily armed police burst into homes of suspects around the country and a mix of Maori radicals, peace and environmental activists were taken into custody and under New Zealand’s Terrorism Suppression Act.[18] 18 people were arrested in Bay of Plenty, Auckland and Wellington. Only four of those arrested were left facing charges in connection with the raids and later convicted on firearms charges. It was later established that the police acted "unlawfully, unjustifiably and unreasonably" in establishing road blocks, and detaining and searching people during the raids.[19]None of the 18 ever faced charges in court under the Terrorism Suppression Act. The New Zealand Herald commented by saying, “The terrorism claims in the still-unresolved Urewera case have revealed deep divisions over Maori and Pakeha world views and state surveillance in the name of public safety.”[20]

This incident should serve to remind the people of Australia that there is a fine line between democracy and fascism. In an age where whole communities such as Lismore have turned against the mining giants, both mining companies and governments alike clearly understand that democratic traditions and procedures won’t always serve them well and they are increasingly turning toward fascist style solutions. Having now been labelled as terrorists by the federal government, will environmental activists in Australia be targeted in future as other terror suspects are treated? Will they face arbitrary arrest and detention by special ops police dressed up in body armour and brandishing automatic weapons as the people in New Zealand did? Will individuals and communities alike face the same fate as the people of Bougainville did as enemies of the state if they continue their resistance against mining companies? If governments at state and federal level in Australia are going to go after the environmental activists as they would a terrorist, then which group in society will be next? The future looks very uncertain and frightening.

Sources:

[1] Sydney Morning Herald A snip at $22m to get rid of PM by Mark Davis February 2, 2011

[2] ABC Rudd's downfall: written in The Australian by Robert Manne, 5 Sep 2011

[3] Bougainville: A Sad and Silent Tragedy in the South Pacific by Martin R. Miriori, Bougainville Interim Peace Office, Solomon Islands http://www.eco-action.org

[4] Ecological Revolution on Bougainville http://www.eco-action.org

[5] Bougainville: A Sad and Silent Tragedy in the South Pacific by Martin R. Miriori, Bougainville Interim Peace Office, Solomon Islands http://www.eco-action.org

[6] SBS Dateline uncovers claims the PNG government acted under instruction from mining giant Rio Tinto, when it killed thousands opposing Bougainville mine.Airdate: Sunday, June 26, 2011

[7] Clean Water Action www.cleanwateraction.org/page/fracking-dangers

[8]Green Left Weekly Metgasgo raises the stakes in NSW by Pip Hinman 16 October 2015

[9] Green Left Weekly Metgasgo raises the stakes in NSW by Pip Hinman 16 October 2015

[10] Northern Star ‘Greens question government agenda to 'shut Nannas down' 10th Apr 2015

[11] Northern Star Cop: Knitting Nanna ‘crackdown’ just a ‘friendly’ chat Hamish Broome 16th Apr 2015

[12] Norther Star Nats boss denies Nannas agenda, says Greens can get knotted 11th Apr 2015

[13] ABC News Knitting Nannas anti-CSG protest in Lismore could be wound up after NSW Police caution

10 Apr 2015

[14] ABC Radicalisation Awareness Kit: Government's new booklet for schools links green activism, 'alternative music' to terrorism By Carl Holm 25 September 2015

[15] ABC Radicalisation Awareness Kit: Government's new booklet for schools links green activism, 'alternative music' to terrorism By Carl Holm 25 September 2015

[16]ABC Radicalisation Awareness Kit: Government's new booklet for schools links green activism, 'alternative music' to terrorism By Carl Holm 25 September 2015

[17] Psychological Operations US Military Field Manual

[18] New Zealand Herald A nation divided: Inside the Urewera Four trial By Geoff Cumming, Catherine Masters Saturday Mar 24, 2012

[19] NZ Herald Police acted 'unlawfully' during Urewera raids by Rebecca Quilliam May 22, 2013

[20] New Zealand Herald A nation divided: Inside the Urewera Four trial By Geoff Cumming, Catherine Masters Saturday Mar 24, 2012