Unionist, church leaders, farmers, animal activists and environmentalists joined forces at Parliament House on Tuesday to voice concerns about the Barnett government's draconian new anti-protest laws.
The Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2015 introduced to the Legislative Council last month could see protesters who use devices to lock themselves to machinery face up to 12 months behind bars or a $12,000 fine.
In some cases, protesters could be jailed for 24 months and slugged with a $24,000 fine if they become aggressive and endanger the safety of others, including themselves.
Farmers could also be arrested for possessing an object, such as a chain, when locking their gates to fracking companies.
Representatives from WA Farmers Federation, the Uniting Church of WA, The Law Society of WA, Unions WA, The Conservation Council of WA and politicians from the Greens and Labor were on hand to pass the 145,000-strong petition calling on the WA government to withdraw the anti-protests laws to Nationals leader Terry Redman.
Catherine Davenport, from the Midwest town of Carnamah, said farmers wanted the Nationals not to support the "draconian laws".
She said Carnamah recently declared the area "gas field-free" after almost 97 per cent of locals rejected fracking coming to the area.
"My community has made a powerful declaration against gas fracking and we plan to stick to that," she told 200 protesters gathered at Parliament House.
"We are ordinary farmers – but we could be made into criminals by this new law, simply for defending our rights to clean air and water."
Irwin Shire mango and rockmelon farmer Rod Copeland said that any law that takes away the right of people to protect the health of their families should be rejected in parliament.
"Under this proposed law, farmers would become criminals for locking our gates against gas fracking on their land," he said.
"Even worse, farmers would be presumed guilty of a crime as the laws would reverse the presumption of innocence."
Uniting Church of WA Reverend Steve Francis said the new laws were harsh on people protesting in non-violent ways.
"People who are exercising their democratic right to protest often in the cause of justice, the vulnerable and the well-being of others do not need to be treated in such a punitive way," he said.
Unions WA boss Meredith Hammat said the new laws would treat workers fighting for better rights as criminals.
Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren said people needed to let the Barnett government know it "was a bridge too far to criminalise peaceful protest".
"They have taken our right away to complain," she said.
The Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2015 introduced to the Legislative Council last month could see protesters who use devices to lock themselves to machinery face up to 12 months behind bars or a $12,000 fine.
In some cases, protesters could be jailed for 24 months and slugged with a $24,000 fine if they become aggressive and endanger the safety of others, including themselves.
Farmers could also be arrested for possessing an object, such as a chain, when locking their gates to fracking companies.
Representatives from WA Farmers Federation, the Uniting Church of WA, The Law Society of WA, Unions WA, The Conservation Council of WA and politicians from the Greens and Labor were on hand to pass the 145,000-strong petition calling on the WA government to withdraw the anti-protests laws to Nationals leader Terry Redman.
Catherine Davenport, from the Midwest town of Carnamah, said farmers wanted the Nationals not to support the "draconian laws".
She said Carnamah recently declared the area "gas field-free" after almost 97 per cent of locals rejected fracking coming to the area.
"My community has made a powerful declaration against gas fracking and we plan to stick to that," she told 200 protesters gathered at Parliament House.
"We are ordinary farmers – but we could be made into criminals by this new law, simply for defending our rights to clean air and water."
Irwin Shire mango and rockmelon farmer Rod Copeland said that any law that takes away the right of people to protect the health of their families should be rejected in parliament.
"Under this proposed law, farmers would become criminals for locking our gates against gas fracking on their land," he said.
"Even worse, farmers would be presumed guilty of a crime as the laws would reverse the presumption of innocence."
Uniting Church of WA Reverend Steve Francis said the new laws were harsh on people protesting in non-violent ways.
"People who are exercising their democratic right to protest often in the cause of justice, the vulnerable and the well-being of others do not need to be treated in such a punitive way," he said.
Unions WA boss Meredith Hammat said the new laws would treat workers fighting for better rights as criminals.
Greens MLC Lynn MacLaren said people needed to let the Barnett government know it "was a bridge too far to criminalise peaceful protest".
"They have taken our right away to complain," she said.
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