1600 Anti-pulp mill Protesters gather at Batman Bridge. "A fantastic show of community strength and unity" says Lucy Landon Lane.........and........A Power Greater than Money: Richard Flanagans speech delivered today at the Batman Bridge Protest.....and.....as a community rallies, Gunns million dollar CEO talks up his Noosa holiday home.

Over 1600 protesters gathered at the Batman Bridge Reserve today to voice their continued opposition to the Tamar Valley pulp mill. The Peaceful Community Protest, organised by Pulp the Mill, included speakers from all the anti-pulp mill groups as well as Peter Cundall, Richard Flanagan and Kim Booth, in a show of unity and strength. Lucy Landon-Lane, spokeswoman from Pulp the Mill said, “Today was a fantastic show of community strength and unity in the fight against the pulp mill. As a symbolic act of crossing these troubled waters to success, all protesters walked along the Batman Bridge with their banners. There were so many people that when we spanned the bridge, we couldn’t fit everyone on and had to start coming back the other side.” “Peter Cundall and Richard Flanagan both received a standing ovation from an enthusiastic and vocal crowd, sending a loud message to Gunns, potential joint venture partners and the Government that the community is gathering momentum and solidarity for the final phase of the campaign and will not stop until this pulp mill is dead.” she said.

“We will never give up! Never. never give up!” said Peter Cundall to an adoring crowd.

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'The Power greater than Money'

Richard Flanagan - Batman Reserve anti pulp mill rally, Sunday March 20 2011.

......"Seven long years ago Paul Lennon and John Gay decided they would build their pulp mill. The people did not agree. They tried to silence us, to intimidate us, to threaten us, to break us and destroy us. Lately they’ve even tried to flatter us and to divide us. And after seven long years I am here today to say Gunns has still not won. And I am here today to say if it takes another seven years Gunns will never win.

For seven long years we have had arrayed against us on all sides the immense power of great parties, of governments, of unions, of paid up cronies in media and front groups.

And all that combined power was in craven servitude to the wealth of one company. That wealth was stolen from our forests and our taxes, and it was made from the selling of our soul.

To get their mill in the face of the people’s opposition, they perverted Parliament, they cowed the public service, they sued some, assassinated the characters of others, they spat on our laws and even had their lawyers write new ones that placed their mill beyond the law, they stacked every sphere of public life, every board and department, with their despicable bullying cronies.

Yet the paradox is that this battle destroyed not us, but them. It destroyed Paul Lennon. It destroyed Robin Gray. It destroyed John Gay. It will destroy Greg L’Estrange. But we are still here. And, after seven long years, we are stronger than ever. Gunns did not win then, they will not win now, and they will never win.

To agree to this mill is to say to everyone in Tasmania—every man, woman and child—that in the end might is right, greed is good, that the only law is the dollar, and that the corruption of our public life is not just acceptable but the only way to get anything done in Tasmania"..........Full Speech Here.

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Gunns Million dollar man's 'Noosa Holiday Home'