Roe 8 protesters have hit back at accusations they left their 'junk' behind in the Beeliar wetlands following the cancellation of the Perth Freight Link project.
Activists camped at the site during construction, with some opting to set up in trees in order to block demolition.
![A protester camping in a tree at the Roe 8 site.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170622180955im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/r/q/g/m/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwtbzq.png/1497754383787.jpg)
Photos of a makeshift camping platform and signage left in a gumtree at the site sparked criticism regarding the protesters' efforts to clean up after themselves at the Beeliar site.
But activists say the criticism was unwarranted, as protesters were not allowed to return to the wetlands to clean up after themselves due to strict bail conditions.
Protester Tahlia Coby Davey campaigned at the site from December last year through to March, and stayed in a tree at the site.
"I was removed from my tree on January 20," she said.
"Riot squad, a tactical response group and regular officers all came to the site accompanied by a cherry picker. I was formally placed under arrest while I was in the tree, then the cherry picker and a TRG came up to the tree to 'negotiate' me down," she said.
"After failing to lock on to the tree, he told me that if I came down from the tree peacefully, I would be given bail and could get straight back to work stopping bulldozers.
"Instead I was taken to Cockburn Police Station for six hours where my bail was denied. I was then transported to the East Perth Watch House for the evening, my first night spent in custody.
"I was the first protector to spend a night locked away for the campaign. It was terrifying, and the other inmates were shocked that I was being locked away for sitting in a tree. The next day I faced Kangaroo Court, where police officers requested that I be detained in Bandyup Women's Prison until my trial date-months in the future."
Ms Davey was instead granted bail, on the condition she was to stay away from the Roe 8 road reserve and 20 metres away from any fence line of the site. She was told if she was to break these conditions, she would be remanded at Bandyup Prison until her trial date.
Her experience is similar to a number of Roe 8 protesters who were arrested over the course of the campaign, and activist bail conditions required them to stay away from the site or face an additional breach-of-bail charge.
"[Two other activists and I] got caught breaking bail by being too close to the fence, and all spent a night in lock-up for it. This was my second time in lock-up during the campaign," Ms Davey said.
Charges against her have since been dropped, and she recently revisited the site in order to begin the clean up.
"Many of the protectors are still to stand trial and are still held back by their bail conditions. Because the state government is paying out their contract with Leighton and WA Limestone, there are 'Roe 8 Alliance' members still working on site to remove mulch and asbestos.
"Some of these workers have shown a disposition to protesters and protectors, so it's made a lot of the bail conditioned activists tentative to go back, lest police arrive and see them breaking bail," she said.
Ms Davey said she believed the latest attempt at criticism was simply "an excuse to fight".
Roe 8 activist and fellow-tree sitter Emma, who wanted her last name to be withheld, agreed with Ms Davey belief, and said protesters allowed to return to the wetlands were already beginning to help with rehabilitation.
"If they are concerned about the rubbish at the site, perhaps they should feel free to pull over and clean the kilometres of Stock Road which are littering the roadside," she said.
"I would stretch so far as to say that this isn't a legitimate community concern and more just a ploy to undermine the great work of dedicated people. If you look back through media coverage during the campaign, they used the same tactics.
"It's a prime example of trying to sway the public opinion with half truths. Countless organisations have advised to leave the cleared areas of the site as untouched as possible for regrowth, as well as the restrictions due to bail conditions and good behaviour."
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