MEDIA RELEASE - SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER 1993
MITSUBISHI'S RAINFOREST RECORD EXPOSED AT SYDNEY MOTORSHOW
Shortly after 11am this morning three protesters from the Boycott
Mitsubishi Coalition handcuffed themselves with padded steel
pipes to vehicles at the Mitsubishi stand at the Sydney Motor
show, and another abseiled from the roof above the stand to
display a banner saying "Please Consider the Rainforests - Boy
cott Mitsubishi".
Other supporters revealed T-shirts bearing the Boycott Mitsubishi
logo, and joined in chants of "Save the Rainforests - Boycott
Mitsubishi". Security guards tried in vain to remove the protes
tors, who remained in position for about an hour, said spokesper
son Mr Brent Hoare from the Rainforest Information Centre. Out
side the exhibition centre another group displayed banners and
handed out leaflets to people entering the motorshow.
Having succeeded in getting their message across, the protestors
agreed to disengage themselves from the vehicles when police
arrived and were free to go. However the abseiler, Australian
Mitsubishi Campaign coordinator Brent Hoare, was arrested upon
his descent from the roof and taken to the City of Sydney Police
Station. He will be issued a summons to appear before a magis
trate for allegedly breaking two regulations of the Darling
Harbour Authority Act concerning the climbing of fixtures and the
display of signs.
Refering to the massive extinction of biological and cultural
diversity resulting from rainforest destruction Mr Hoare said "I
want to be able to tell my kids I did everything I could to
prevent what biologists are calling the most significant event in
the twentieth Century" in his statement to the police.
"By letting people know they can help prevent the destruction of
rainforests by boycotting all Mitsubishi products, we are sure
that Mitsubishi will be forced to adopt a more responsible poli
cy, and start behaving like a responsible corporate citizen", Mr
Hoare said.
"Mitsubishi companies are unsustainably exploiting rainforests
and abusing native people from Brazil to Borneo and Canada to
Siberia. This action will be followed by many more as part of the
global boycott campaign currently being waged against the Mitsu
bishi group", said Mr Hoare.
For further information, contact:
Brent Hoare
Mitsubishi Campaign Coordinator ph:018-608-091