‘I would do it again’: Forest activist Colette Harmsen pledges to continue protests despite jail

“Their laws aren’t going to stop us because they can’t lock up our hearts.” Environmentalists are celebrating as the first Tasmanian forest activist jailed in a decade returns to life on the outside.

When forest protester Colette Harmsen got out of prison, the first thing she did was eat blueberries.

It was a sweet entry back to her life on the outside after a three-month stint at the Mary Hutchinson Women’s Prison in Risdon Vale.

But on Friday, she was given an even sweeter welcome back into civilian life with a celebration in Hobart, staged by environmentalists and the Bob Brown Foundation.

The 47-year-old veterinarian-turned-full-time activist is the first person to have served time in Tasmania for environmental activism in a decade, and is also believed to be the first woman in the state ever incarcerated over such crimes.

Harmsen was jailed in July this year after repeatedly locking herself on to an excavator at a Rosebery mine protest between 2021 and March this year, refusing to leave when directed to do so.

Harmsen – who says she has been arrested 22 times in her 16 years of protesting – has appeared in court and pleaded guilty to trespass on nine separate occasions since 2010.

Colette Harmsen, second from right, is welcomed back into life outside jail in a Hobart celebration by environmentalists. Picture: Chris Kidd

Speaking to a crowd of supporters outside Parliament House, Harmsen said her jail term had been “made so much more bearable” with their words of encouragement and love.

“But honestly we shouldn’t have to do time for standing up and demanding a safer planet, for demanding a clean and healthy environment to live in,” she said.

“I’m not doing this to be remembered. I’m doing this to remind people to act now for nature, for our wildlife, for our forests – and as a reminder to act now for our whole flipping planet.”

Harmsen thanked her fellow inmates at the women’s prison – asking them to “take care of yourselves” and take care of Zeus, the prison dog.

She said she would continue to protest, and risk her freedom, for her beliefs.

“The silencing of peaceful protesters is complete madness,” she said.

She later confirmed with journalists that “I would do it again”.

Bob Brown with Colette Harmsen, after her release from a three-month jail term. Picture: Chris Kidd

Bob Brown said the true criminals, “under the laws of nature”, were members of the Tasmanian government, who continued to log native forests and who brought in last year’s controversial anti-protest laws.

“Their laws aren’t going to stop us because they can’t lock up our hearts. They can’t lock up our belief in defending the forests,” he said.

“Colette is a champion and she inspires me, she inspires all of us, and she might not feel this, but she has sent a ripple of real strength through those who want the forests saved right around Australia.”

The Tinderbox resident was given a six-month suspended sentence in the Hobart Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to four counts of trespass, two breaches of bail, failing to obey the direction of a police officer, and wilfully obstructing the use of a road.

However, she was jailed for three months over three counts of breaching a previously-suspended sentence via the Rosebery action.

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