Tree protester warned not to reoffend says she would 'absolutely' do it again

An elderly activist and author, Mij Tanith, 78, has been warned by a magistrate that she could face a conviction for future protests against tree felling. Tanith pleaded guilty to being unlawfully on premises during a protest against the removal of nearly 600 trees at the North Adelaide Golf Course on May 15.

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To have the leniency of having no conviction recorded, the court has to be of the view that you are unlikely to do this offence again. That would mean that if it was repeated, this sort of offending, you might well have a criminal conviction recorded. That may make all sorts of things difficult for you, including things like travelling to certain countries. Breaches of the criminal law are not condoned by the court, whatever the reason, no matter how noble the person thinks their cause is.

Adelaide Magistrates Court Magistrate Ben Sale opted not to record a conviction or impose a fine, citing Tanith's previous good behavior and the 90 minutes she spent in custody after her arrest. However, he ordered her to pay court fees and issued a stern warning about the consequences of reoffending, noting that a future conviction could complicate travel to certain countries.

Despite the magistrate's warning, Tanith, who is also a playwright, told reporters outside the court that she would not rule out committing the offense again. "I feel incredibly passionate about this, probably more passionate than I can feel about anything else," she stated, adding that she would "absolutely" consider it "worth it" if the situation arose again.

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I'm not going to say I'm not going to do it again, if it comes to that. I feel incredibly passionate about this, probably more passionate than I can feel about anything else. No, I'm not ruling anything out.

Tanith, recognized as the 2025 Adelaide City Council citizen of the year, expressed satisfaction with the court's decision. She plans to refocus her energy on activism, aiming to halt further "heartbreaking destruction" planned for the area. She highlighted the growing strength of the movement she is part of.

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Yes, absolutely.

The state government, however, maintains that the $45 million redevelopment of the North Adelaide Golf Course will result in more trees being planted than removed. The project aims to enable the course to host international events, including the Australian Open in 2028 and future LIV Golf tournaments, while remaining open to the public.

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It means I can focus on my own health at this stage and then get back into the whole swing of working towards a halt on … all of the heartbreaking destruction that's planned for that area. We're all passionate, we're all committed. We've come together as a movement and the movement is growing.