Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Conviction against anti-mining protester dropped in Coromandel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Anti-mining protester successfully appeals conviction in Coromandel
December 11th, 2018

A 65-year old Coromandel woman has been discharged without conviction after being charged with obstruction in September. Linda was arrested for obstructing a mining company prospecting in conservation land in the Karangahake Gorge and appeared in the Waihi District Court this afternoon.

Linda Gilmore, arrested on August 13th earlier this year, chained herself to a gate used by mining operators New Talisman Gold Mines.

The judge granted her a discharge without conviction, concluding that “Linda’s sincere protest against mining on conservation land” does not warrant a conviction.

Gilmore says she is thrilled about the outcome.


“It’s a relief - my grandkids would have been proud of me even if I had been convicted, because they know it’s about me standing up for them and their generation, but knowing I’m free to keep protesting the mining on conservation land feels awesome.”

"I felt it was important to appeal because I wanted people to see the bigger picture - we're protesting because we believe it's wrong to destroy conservation land and we were left with no other avenues to draw the public's attention to this issue," she says.

Gilmore, a local business owner, who has lived in the area for more than 25 years, says she had the local community in mind when she was arrested for obstruction on the mountain earlier this year.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"I consider myself to be a law-abiding citizen, but in this case the law was protecting the wrong people - we had no choice but to protect the mountain ourselves."

Linda’s lawyer Thomas Hara says; “It’s a great outcome for Linda - it shows that people who want to protest in New Zealand can do so without fear of conviction.”

Karangahake local Lucy Aitken-Reid says the successful appeal is a win for the whole community.

"We're really proud of Linda for standing up for our community against a giant mining company - it's a win for us, but we can't forget that the mountain is still being mined.

"Mount Karangahake is the heart of our community - the government made a promise last year to extend Schedule 4 legislation to protect Karangahake from mining and we're still waiting," she says.

Forty members of the community came out to show support at the Waihi District Court this afternoon.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.