Protesters arrested, but five remain | Rockhampton News | Local News in Rockhampton
Protesters arrested, but five remain
Bryan Law has taken on the law in the past.
AND then there were five.
Two anti-war protesters were arrested inside Shoalwater Bay military training area over the weekend, leaving five other activists who are still at large.
Jacob Bolton, 27, was found inside the military base on Saturday night by military personnel and was detained by police.
Police said he was released on bail early Sunday morning with a notice to appear in court and will be charged with trespassing on Commonwealth property.
Notorious protester Bryan Law was also found inside the base on East West Road yesterday around 1pm.
Police were yesterday unable to comment on whether any charges had been laid against Mr Law.
Mr Bolton was part of a group called “Grana 4” who entered the base on Thurday, along with the group “Jaegerstaetter 3”.
The youngest, 19-year-old Emily Neilsen along with Yulangi Bardon, 21, Mark Palmer, 51, Culley Palmer, 21, and Jim Dowling, 53 are still inside the base, host to joint US and Australian military exercises.
A spokesperson from the Martin Luther King House of Nonviolence said Mr Bolton was “very pleased” that he was able to find a physical way to challenge war and the military machine.
“These exercises are only a step removed from current war making by the US and Australia in Iraq and Afghanistan,” they said.
“The US and Australians have no civilian players in the exercises. These exercises are a fantasy- The activist's presence counters this fantasy.”
Margaret Pestorius, who was detained by US soldiers last week, said each activist found by the military is a reality check for the military personnel who run into them.
“War has real people- ordinary men, women and children who want peace and who are trying to go about their daily business in the face of bombing, shooting and incarceration,” she said.
“We were discovered by US infantrymen playing insurgents in a large role-playing invasion scenario. Yet there are no civilians in this scenario.”
A Defence spokesperson said it was illegal to trespass on Commonwealth land and could be very dangerous to individuals who chose to break the law.
“If unauthorised individuals are found on the training area they will be escorted from the training area in co-ordination with Queensland Police,” he said.
“Protesters have a democratic right to protest, however, Defence calls for any actions to be conducted peacefully and lawfully.”
The spokesperson said the live fire phase of exercise Talisman Saber was completed on July 15.
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