Australia detains French TV crew filming anti-coal protest

By Sonali Paul

 

French TV reporter Hugo Clement is seen in a police van after he was arrested while filming protesters blockading the Abbot Point coal port near Bowen, Queensland, Australia July 22, 2019. Frontline Action on Coal/Handout via REUTERS

 

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A French television reporter and his crew were arrested on Monday while filming protesters blockading a coal port in Australia’s northeastern state of Queensland.

 

Reporter Hugo Clément said he and his television crew from French public broadcaster France 2 were filming protesters blocking access to Indian conglomerate Adani Enterprise’s Abbot Point coal terminal for an environmental documentary about oceans, including the Great Barrier Reef.

 

“We were just doing our job. They say we were trespassing, but we were just filming in a public space. I was not blocking the railway,” Clément told Reuters by phone after being released on bail.

 

He said he and his crew would have moved had the police asked them to, but were instead just arrested and put in a police van. One of the cameramen was handcuffed after trying to continue to film when they were being arrested.

 

State police confirmed that seven people, including four French men aged 29, 30, 32 and 39, had been arrested and charged with trespassing on a railway at the Abbot Point coal terminal.

 

Police did not identify any of the seven.

 

Clément and his crew are due to appear at the state’s Bowen magistrates’ court on Sept. 3. He said he was not sure whether they would have to appear in person.

 

Police set bail terms banning the crew from going within 20 km (12 miles) of Adani’s Carmichael mine site or less than 100 metres from any other Adani site.

 

Adani’s Carmichael mine and rail project has been the target of protests for nearly a decade by protesters worried about coal’s impact on climate change and damage to the Great Barrier Reef. Opponents lost their battle in June when the company finally received approval to begin construction.

 

Adani, owner of the coal port, said it was aware of the protest but had no comment on the arrests.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-22

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Is Queensland in Russia or in China or in North Corea?

30 minutes ago, Ralf61 said:

Is Queensland in Russia or in China or in North Corea?

Queensland police have always operated in their own "special" way, just ask former Queensland copper, Peter Dutton, federal minister for "Home Affairs" . 

Seems rather fascist, doesn't it?

 

Australia was very high up on my wish list of destinations to visit when I was a teenager (many years ago) but it's dropped right to the bottom as its attitude of freedom, sense of adventure and spirit of invention seems to be gone for the most part, suppressed by increasing nanny state governments over the past few decades. 

 

I really don't say that in criticism of Oz I'm sure it's a safe and lovely place to live, but it's just not the type of country that interests me.  

1 hour ago, Ralf61 said:

Is Queensland in Russia or in China or in North Corea?

 

Police/Local Government "hand in hand" with big, private, business?

 

Sounds a bit closer to a certain nation in SE Asia.

 

 

17 hours ago, Inn Between said:

Seems rather fascist, doesn't it?

 

Australia was very high up on my wish list of destinations to visit when I was a teenager (many years ago) but it's dropped right to the bottom as its attitude of freedom, sense of adventure and spirit of invention seems to be gone for the most part, suppressed by increasing nanny state governments over the past few decades. 

 

I really don't say that in criticism of Oz I'm sure it's a safe and lovely place to live, but it's just not the type of country that interests me.  

We have the rule of law in Australia and despite my opposition to Adani and its mine, the police have removed people who were trespassing, we will see what transpires in the court. 

You may note that we have very very few offenders or suspects shot by law enforcement. 

there's no environmental issues in France, BS..

18 hours ago, Enoon said:

 

Police/Local Government "hand in hand" with big, private, business?

 

Sounds a bit closer to a certain nation in SE Asia.

 

 

Just go for a walk in Sydney or Melbourne CBD... Asians 90%

24 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

there's no environmental issues in France, BS..

So?

16 minutes ago, stevenl said:

So?

concentrate on their own back yard and when their country is perfect environmentally then venture out and conquer the world or is that not dramatic enough for them..

They would have made better use of their time filming saboteurs under a protest boat...

2 hours ago, rosst said:

We have the rule of law in Australia and despite my opposition to Adani and its mine, the police have removed people who were trespassing, we will see what transpires in the court. 

You may note that we have very very few offenders or suspects shot by law enforcement. 

Seems strange they arrested the film crew (French) and left the protestors on the railway line.

 

Reckon the mining company had something to do with the arrests???.

They probably didn't want the already tarnished reputation to be further tarnished in France.

 

 

9 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Seems strange they arrested the film crew (French) and left the protestors on the railway line.

 

Reckon the mining company had something to do with the arrests???.

They probably didn't want the already tarnished reputation to be further tarnished in France.

rather strange indeed.

trespassing on a railway line? is that private property?

 

I guess now they have less to worry about their reputation.

5 minutes ago, manarak said:

rather strange indeed.

trespassing on a railway line? is that private property?

 

I guess now they have less to worry about their reputation.

Yes, I believe so .

 

31 minutes ago, tifino said:

They would have made better use of their time filming saboteurs under a protest boat...

Way too late for that one

https://rsf.org/fr/actualites/une-equipe-de-france-2-arretee-par-la-police-australienne

 

"the link between our arrests and the restraining order is the corporation Adani which operates this mine, RSF was told by Hugo Clement. This morning, the police officers targeted us directly, they didn't want us to film the protest. And now they also forbade us to investigate the topic - that tells a lot about the influence of large private corporations."

 

let's see if the otherwise oh so politically correct folks in the Australian government will see what's wrong here.

don't see too many of these folks protesting in China about their coal use - worst in the world but they get a pass?

what do they want to achieve by filming.

I'm a great believer in Jobs … jobe … jobs.

If families don't have jobs then you have no economy.

4 minutes ago, steven100 said:

what do they want to achieve by filming.

I'm a great believer in Jobs … jobe … jobs.

If families don't have jobs then you have no economy.

I'm a great believer in being responsible with our environment. Without green and friendly environment no life.

6 minutes ago, stevenl said:

I'm a great believer in being responsible with our environment. Without green and friendly environment no life.

so we stop all mining and progress, we stop export jobs ( thousands of jobs down the line ) we stop everything to save the hot, arid wasteland and generally hellhole out west to save a few hundred acres of trees or blue beaked kingfisher.  just saying  …  

5 hours ago, rosst said:

We have the rule of law in Australia and despite my opposition to Adani and its mine, the police have removed people who were trespassing, we will see what transpires in the court. 

You may note that we have very very few offenders or suspects shot by law enforcement. 

But arresting a film crew without warning them that they are "trespassing" if indeed they were? This is the sort of stuff you expect from a totalitarian state.

3 minutes ago, steven100 said:

so we stop all mining and progress, we stop export jobs ( thousands of jobs down the line ) we stop everything to save the hot, arid wasteland and generally hellhole out west to save a few hundred acres of trees or blue beaked kingfisher.  just saying  …  

You're mentioning mining and progress in the same sentence. Progress can be achieved without mining, mining will not lead to progress.

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

so we stop all mining and progress, we stop export jobs ( thousands of jobs down the line ) we stop everything to save the hot, arid wasteland and generally hellhole out west to save a few hundred acres of trees or blue beaked kingfisher.  just saying  …  

And who said anything about all mining? Stop making things up. And of course coal is filthy stuff and is just less filthy after the scrubbers get through with it. And the coal ash that remains is highly toxic. An attempt was made in Mississippi to build a truly "clean coal" plant as far as emissions go. I think 7 billion dollars later the plug was pulled on it.

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

what do they want to achieve by filming.

I'm a great believer in Jobs … jobe … jobs.

If families don't have jobs then you have no economy.

But u dont believe they can film the jobs jobs jobs?

3 hours ago, steven100 said:

so we stop all mining and progress, we stop export jobs ( thousands of jobs down the line ) we stop everything to save the hot, arid wasteland and generally hellhole out west to save a few hundred acres of trees or blue beaked kingfisher.  just saying  …  

Who said the film crew wanted it stopped. They werent protesting anything. They were filming. 

16 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Way too late for that one

Delayed fuse... ???? 

On 7/22/2019 at 8:39 PM, Inn Between said:

Seems rather fascist, doesn't it?

 

Australia was very high up on my wish list of destinations to visit when I was a teenager (many years ago) but it's dropped right to the bottom as its attitude of freedom, sense of adventure and spirit of invention seems to be gone for the most part, suppressed by increasing nanny state governments over the past few decades. 

 

I really don't say that in criticism of Oz I'm sure it's a safe and lovely place to live, but it's just not the type of country that interests me.  

True. I left australia 6 years ago and best move I made. I only return for funerals.

 

Overpriced, racist nany state. NZ is worth a look tho. Especially south island.

On 7/23/2019 at 9:30 PM, from the home of CC said:

don't see too many of these folks protesting in China about their coal use - worst in the world but they get a pass?

Because they are in Australia as is the mine site

On 7/23/2019 at 5:17 PM, rosst said:

We have the rule of law in Australia and despite my opposition to Adani and its mine, the police have removed people who were trespassing, we will see what transpires in the court. 

You may note that we have very very few offenders or suspects shot by law enforcement. 

They were arrested, but not charged warned not to go back I believe

7 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Because they are in Australia as is the mine site

No, because they know if they went after the worlds worst emitter of green house gases they would have to pay a price, so they pick on countries who will slap their wrists and let them go. It's about optics, you tube likes and being viewed as heroes while not making an iota of difference, they're too afraid to confront the real perpetrators of the environmental crimes that affect the globe. Posers at best..