Woodside renews pursuit of activists whose hoax gas stunt evacuated Perth headquarters
The letter stated that Woodside “suffered loss and damage, including clean-up costs, and lost productive time in Woodside’s business” as a direct result of the evacuation.
Now the company has progressed the legal action, described by activists as a Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation or SLAPP case, with a hearing scheduled for the WA Supreme Court on Thursday next week.
Partyka – employee of WA Greens MLC Tim Clifford He became famous for spray-painting the Woodside logo on a Frederick McCubbin painting in the Art Gallery of WA – claimed that the legal process was not an “honest bid” to seek compensation and was instead “a very clear and calculated tactic to intimidate, bully and silence peaceful citizens who defy a multibillion-dollar corporation that profits from our collective misery.”
“Far from scaring me, Woodside’s legal move only serves to confirm the significant impact of our campaign. Woodside is trying to stop people from doing this again because it was so successful,” he said.
Davey, who filmed the eviction after Morrissey released “foul-smelling gas” in 2023, said the case was “about brand damage” to Woodside as protesters targeted the Burrup Hub.
“Woodside’s Burrup Center is destroying sacred Aboriginal culture and destroying the planet for future generations and our campaign has successfully warned them,” he said.
“Every Australian now understands that the gas industry is ripping us all off and refusing to pay its fair share.”
Woodside did not answer questions on the matter because the proceedings are currently before the court, but he noted a previously released statement about the activism.
“Woodside condemns unlawful acts intended to threaten, harm, intimidate or disturb our employees or any member of the public in their daily lives,” the statement reads.
“We believe these actions should be met with the full force of the law.
“It is misleading for extremist groups to describe their activities as ‘harmless’. Recent events have deliberately created direct impacts on people and created risks to public safety, with a variety of harmful consequences.”
The statement specifically states that it is against the law to release “potentially hazardous substances” as well as illegally enter operating areas or offshore facilities and deface art in public galleries.
“Such actions are a burden on emergency services whose job it is to keep us safe and unnecessarily impact the daily lives of Western Australians,” the report said.
WA Greens MP Sophie McNeill described the case as “vexatious” and an “American-style legal scare tactic by a multi-billion dollar company”.
“Nothing about this is a legitimate attempt to recover damages,” he said.
Greenpeace Australia Pacific CEO David Ritter said the case gave the impression that Woodside was trying to intimidate and subdue its rivals.
“This SLAPP lawsuit is part of an alarming global trend of corporate bullies using malicious legal tactics to intimidate and silence people exercising their democratic right to protest,” Ritter said.
“WA has a proud history of civil protest to establish many of the rights, freedoms and benefits we now celebrate.
“The whales now beloved by West Australians would not have been saved without protest. Such actions by Woodside are intended to silence such protests.”
Holly Thompson is a journalist at WAtoday specializing in education and the environment.Connect with: X or email.
