Bob Brown Foundation launched firey protest on steps of Treasury building

On the fringes of a popular food event, Bob Brown Foundation launched a fiery protest to ban logging burns. Details >>

Bob Brown Foundation letting off flares at Franklin Square Hobart to highlight logging burns in Tasmania. Picture: Bob Brown Foundation

There was a fiery display by the Bob Brown Foundation on Friday night, after forest defenders ignited flares to protest against burning practices in the state’s forests.

The protest was held on the steps of the Department of Treasury and Finance building, in front of popular food event Franko Street Eats.

“It was about being able to have a public display of protest about these terrible burns,” campaigns manager Jenny Weber said.

“These fires are going on right behind your back doorstep in the forests.

“They’re still going after decades and what we find with being on the edge of a massed public like was at Franko Eats is that the passers-by were really encouraging, super engaged and having a look at the videos and then the flare action just brings that instant 60 seconds of attention to the fact that there’s a terrible incineration of public forests out in these beautiful places that we all want protected.”

Bob Brown Foundation letting off flares at Franklin Square Hobart to highlight logging burns in Tasmania. Picture: Bob Brown Foundation

It comes as the group launched new website Forest Watch, which monitors and gives real-time updates on various forest coupes being logged and burnt.

Franko Street Eats organisers didn’t want to comment on the protest, but did say the incident was “pathetic”.

Ms Weber said the protest was more like “artivism action”.

“We didn’t interrupt Franko Eats, it was more that on the fringe in a busy Friday night evening, people going about their wonderful evening, just giving them an opportunity to learn about logging and burning of native forests and we had great response,” she said.

“We were on unoccupied stairs at the Treasury Building away from the public and flares were let off and they lasted 60 seconds so it’s a pretty quick, harmless display of protest.”