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Anti-farming protesters to face tougher penalties in WA

Gary AdsheadThe West Australian
VideoVegan activists protested across the country today stopping traffic and city businesses.

Anti-farming protesters who live stream their trespassing on WA properties will face tougher penalties and fines, Police Minister Michelle Roberts has promised.

As vegan activists stepped up their national campaign yesterday, resulting in more than 30 arrests, Mrs Roberts said WA Police were on high alert.

“Our police will be there to support farmers,” she said.

“People need to be able to go about their work, earn their income and look after their own animals on their properties.”

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Current trespass laws are under review and Mrs Roberts wants the use of real-time social media during a farm trespass to be considered an “aggravating factor” in the crime.

“It’s one thing to trespass on to someone else’s property, but if what you’re doing is part of some wider protest being sent around Australia or around the world, then we’ll look at that as a circumstance of aggravation and be upping the penalties for that,” she said.

But WAFarmers chief executive Trevor Whittington has called for an intelligence unit to be established between WA Police and the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development.

“We would also like to see the (State) Government allocate resources to an intelligence unit focused on animal activism, so there is a clear signal that these sorts of activities will not be tolerated,” he said.

In February, activist James Warden entered a Pinjarra piggery and live streamed the trespass via a protest group’s social media page. He was fined $7000, which was mostly paid for via a crowdfunding website.

Mrs Roberts said the fine was not enough of a deterrent and she was awaiting advice from the Police Commissioner on how to increase the penalty by making it more serious to live stream a trespass.

“In addition to that, the Attorney-General is working on some restraining order-style legislation, so if people do that they could be given a restraining order for going on to that property,” she said.

“I hope we can introduce legislation later this year.”

Vegan protesters took to the streets around Australia yesterday, chaining themselves to vehicles in Melbourne and blocking traffic.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has labelled those behind the protests and farm incursions “green-collared criminals”.

“If there are pastoralists, farmers, graziers that are in a position to bring a civil action against these groups looking to undermine their livelihood, the Commonwealth is totally open to supporting them in a test case to show these green criminals it is not on,” he said.

The State Opposition accused the McGowan Government of dragging its feet on new deterrents.

“The Government have had months to review penalties for extremists who illegally trespass on properties, but they have yet to outline any appropriate consequences for such action,” shadow agriculture minister Ian Blayney said.

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