TASMANIAN Greens leader Nick McKim has been lambasted for linking forest protesters arrested in Tasmania this week to civil rights activists Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi.
Mr McKim, right, took to Parliament yesterday to defend the right to protest amid calls from the Opposition for Premier Lara Giddings to ditch him from Cabinet.
The calls come after Ms Giddings labelled protests that stopped work at two of Ta Ann's mills this week as "appalling".
Mr McKim called for a matter of public importance in Parliament yesterday to get on the record his support for the protesters.
"The Greens will always back people's right to protest because throughout history major and massive social advances have been driven by people who have protested, often contrary to the law of the day at the time," Mr McKim said.
"Exhibit A, the suffragettes, of which my great-grandmother was one, a fact I am extremely proud of.
"Exhibit B, Nelson Mandela, imprisoned for over a decade for protest action and simply expressing his views.
"Exhibit C, Mahatma Gandhi, who was tried in India for peaceful protest that the government of the time believed was illegal under the laws of the day.
"Exhibit D, Martin Luther King.
"These people all conducted protest activities that the governments of the day believed were illegal at the time and whose actions resulted in massive advances socially for humanity."
Tasmanian Communities Australia state spokesman Barry Chipman said current protesters were not Gandhi.
"If they are, history needs to be rewritten," Mr Chipman said. "If my reading of history is correct, Nelson Mandela's fight was to gain freedom for a race of people.
"And here you have Nick McKim supporting activists and law breakers that are trying to take freedom and rights away from workers' freedom to work a day's work.
"He should be on the side of the families that have lost their freedoms.
"History shows Nelson Mandela fought for the freedom for people to go about their life.
"He [Mr McKim] is now supporting those that are trying to do the opposite."
Liberal leader Will Hodgman said Ms Giddings must "show some leadership and sack Mr McKim from her Cabinet for cheering on illegal forest protests which are threatening the viability of businesses such as Ta Ann".
Deputy Premier Bryan Green defended people's right to protest but said Labor did not support the current protests holding up work at Ta Ann.
Five people were arrested at Ta Ann's Lonnavale site on Wednesday and three at its Smithton plant on Tuesday.
matthew.smith@news.com.au
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