csg protests todays

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/04/2973354.htm?section=business


Activists in roof-top protest at Qld Parliament
Posted 14 minutes ago

Map: Brisbane 4000 There has been a security breach at Parliament House in Brisbane, with protesters getting through police to unfurl a large banner from the roof.

A rally organised by Friends of the Earth drew hundreds of farming families and environmentalists to State Parliament.

They called for Premier Anna Bligh to come outside to hear their concerns about coal mining and extractive gas industries.

When Ms Bligh did not appear, some of the protesters were stopped from entering the building by police standing shoulder to shoulder at the gate.

But attention turned to the roof when two protesters appeared and worked for about several minutes to unfurl a large banner.

A cheer went up when the slogan "Don't undermine our farms" was revealed.

Police have since arrested the men who scaled the building.

Earlier today two protesters were ejected from the public gallery of Parliament after they yelled out and unfurled a banner.

The rally started with a procession of children on ride-on tractors.

Protester Ruth Armstrong from Cecil Plains on the Darling Downs says they want protection from gas extraction industries.

"We're still in drought... we've been in drought for 14 years and they want to bring water to the surface as a waste product," she said.

Natural Resources Minister Stephen Robertson told Parliament the Government was listening to the protesters' concerns.

"That's why we will also soon introduce laws that give landholders stronger rights and impose additional obligations on resource companies," he said.

"This will include ensuring companies seek to minimise any impacts from their activities on landholders' family, land, livelihood and lifestyle."