Auckland, 28 May 2021 A widespread protest movement is building against Fonterra for the damage it is wreaking on environmental and human health, with three protests being held today in Auckland, Wellington and Dunedin. Two protests are being .
Press Release – Coal Action Network
A widespread protest movement is building against Fonterra for the damage it is wreaking on environmental and human health, with protests being held today in Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin.
In Wellington, protestors gathered at 1pm in Midland Park, opposite Fonterra’s Lambton Quay offices, chanting and singing their protests. Groups involved: Fridays For The Future, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Extinction Rebellion.
The day began with activists again blocking railway tracks in Dunedin to stop a train carrying coal to Fonterra’s Clandeboye dairy factory in South Canterbury.
Two weeks ago saw a choir outside of Environment Canterbury’s headquarters in Christchurch, opposing the granting of another 10-year consent to an irrigation scheme, which would further pollute rivers already in a state of crisis.
The protests have been organised by a variety of different groups.
“Fonterra and its farmers profit from dumping their pollution, and waste, for free, into our atmosphere, water and soil, causing worsening climate change, unswimmable rivers, undrinkable water, poor animal welfare, tropical deforestation, loss of amenity and biodiversity, and health risks to everyone, including bowel cancer and premature babies,” said Rob Taylor of
, a co-organiser of today’s Auckland protest.
“Fonterra is arguably Aotearoa’s worst polluter, and people are understandably upset about it; we can expect to see a lot more activism, not least because the Government has left the dairy industry out of the emissions trading scheme, and is resisting stronger controls on nitrate pollution,” he said.
The protests have been organised by a variety of different groups.
“Fonterra and its farmers profit from dumping their pollution, and waste, for free, into our atmosphere, water and soil, causing worsening climate change, unswimmable rivers, undrinkable water, poor animal welfare, tropical deforestation, loss of amenity and biodiversity, and health risks to everyone, including bowel cancer and premature babies,” said Rob Taylor of
, a co-organiser of today’s Auckland protest.
“Fonterra is arguably Aotearoa’s worst polluter, and people are understandably upset about it; we can expect to see a lot more activism, not least because the Government has left the dairy industry out of the emissions trading scheme, and is resisting stronger controls on nitrate pollution,” he said.