Gunns suing 13 anti-logging activists

8 Jan 2009, 8:00 am   -   Source: AAP
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Timber giant Gunns has ramped up its battle with anti-logging activists in Tasmania, suing 13 protesters involved in a raid on one of its mills last month.

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Timber giant Gunns Ltd has ramped up its battle with anti-logging activists in Tasmania, suing 13 protesters involved in a raid on one of its woodchip mills last month.

Thirteen activists from the Still Wild, Still Threatened action group launched a dawn raid on the Triabunna mill, on Tasmania's east coast, on December 16.

Seven were charged by police with trespass after their protest, held to express their anger over the federal government's targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

They were all bailed to appear at Hobart Court of Petty Sessions on February 10.

The action forced a halt to production at the mill for most of the day and backed up dozens of log trucks.

Lawyers for Gunns lodged a writ against 13 activists linked to the Triabunna protest in the Supreme Court of Tasmania on December 23.

The first of the 13 activists was served with the writ on Tuesday night.

Gunns are suing the activists seeking damages for trespass and aggravated and/or exemplary damages for trespass, the Gunns writ says.

Gunns has also asked the court for an injunction to prevent any of the 13 activists from entering Gunns' land without permission from the company, the writ says.

Gunns also wants the activists to pay for the costs of the writ, the writ says.

The activists have seven days to reply to the writ before the next step in the legal process.

Still Wild, Still Threatened spokeswoman Ula Majewski - who is one the activists being sued, said the protesters rejected the writ and would fight it in court.

Greens leader Bob Brown says Gunns is "out of control", trying to silence its critics with an outrageous, bullyboy attack on the free speech of Australians.

The company rejects the Senator Brown's claim, with spokesman Matt Horan saying Gunns is all for free speech.

It just doesn't want to be forced to shut down its lawful business for seven hours to accommodate uninvited protesters, Mr Horan said.

Gunns supported the right of activists to protest somewhere else but not at a Gunns workplace, he said.

The company claims the 13 activists trespassed onto its Triabunna mill, on Tasmania's east coast, on December 16, stopping production at the mill for seven hours, stacking up 40 log trucks and their drivers.

"As a consequence (Gunns) suffered loss, damage, and expense," the Gunns writ says.

Gunns claims the protesters intended to disrupt mill production by chaining themselves to equipment in order to gain media publicity for their political beliefs.

Senator Brown told reporters in Hobart that Gunns "apparently believes we are living in a police state".

"Here we have this environmentally evil company now wanting to have people punished by the courts for expressing their political beliefs - for daring to publicly put on show their disagreement with Gunns.

"This is an extraordinary piece of court action to silence people who have a difference of opinion between the Gunns corporation and themselves."

Senator Brown said Gunns chairman John Gay was a "wimp" and described the 13 activists as "Australian patriots".

"(Gunns) is out of control ... trying to punish people for publicising a political belief," he said.

Senator Brown said the legal move "was not just bully boy, this is outrageous police state thinking".

Mr Horan said: "Gunns is seeking a restriction of criminal activity, not of free speech."

"They are free to speak as much as they can," he said.

"They just can't do it as part of a criminal trespass that also endangers workers' safety and people's livelihoods."

The activists have seven days to reply to the writ before the next step in the legal process.

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