The ABC has refused to elucidate why it ignored the revelation that the personal dwelling of Woodside Energy boss Meg O’Neill had been invaded by local weather activists regardless of having a movie crew on the scene and the news making nationwide, front-page headlines.
As first reported by The West Australian, a bunch of Disrupt Burrup Hub activists descended on the City Beach dwelling Ms O’Neill shares along with her associate and daughter early on Tuesday morning.
The ABC got here underneath fireplace and confronted strain to elucidate after it was revealed a tv movie crew — understood to be an interstate staff filming a documentary for 4Corners — had accompanied the activists to the house to file the protest.
But regardless of having a digital camera on the tackle and the news of the incident making headlines on WA’s business tv news and different nationwide news web sites, the ABC didn’t publish a report on-line, nor did it make any point out of it on its 7pm news bulletin.
Asked to elucidate the choice, an ABC spokeswoman mentioned it had nothing so as to add to a press release supplied on Tuesday through which she mentioned the crew was there “to film the protest for an upcoming report”.
The ABC denied “any notion” that the TV crew was colluding with the protesters.
“They had no knowledge what behaviour would occur,” she mentioned.
“The ABC has nothing to do with the protest beyond the reporting it is doing.”
Two infamous activists — Jesse Noakes and Gerard Mazza — are as a result of face Perth Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with conspiring to commit an indictable offence over the incident.
They had been denied bail and spent the night time in custody.
Emil Davey, 21, and Matilda Lane-Rose, 19, are each going through the identical cost and are as a result of seem in court docket this month.
Hours after the incident, Ms O’Neill mentioned it was “not a harmless protest” and that it was “designed to threaten me, my partner and our daughter in our home”.
Extreme acts like this will not be reputable protest exercise. Such acts are violent and intimidating and I condemn it fully.
“Such acts by extremists should be condemned by anyone who respects the law and believes people should be safe to go about their business at home and at work,” she mentioned.
In a press release, a Woodside spokeswoman mentioned the corporate “condemned the actions of a group of extremist protesters who trespassed” at Ms O’Neill’s dwelling.
“The activists were accompanied by camera crews in what was an organised and deliberate act designed to intimidate Ms O’Neill and her family,” she mentioned.
“This is an unacceptable escalation in activity designed to threaten and intimidate by an extremist group which has no interest in engaging in respectful and constructive debate about Woodside’s role in the transition towards a lower-carbon world.
“Illegal activity like this only serves to distract from the real work being undertaken to achieve decarbonisation.”
Among the flurry of voices condemning the private assault on Ms O’Neill was Federal Resources Minister who mentioned “seeking to intimidate someone in their home or workplace is intolerable”.
“Extreme acts like this are not legitimate protest activity,” she mentioned.
“Such acts are violent and intimidating and I condemn it entirely.
“It would be a loss for all of us if Australia were to become the kind of place where public figures needed to surround themselves with security at all times.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
