The 23-year-old Victorian man was arrested on Friday and charged with assault. Police will allege that he assaulted a worker at a Tarkine rainforest protest.

Fronting the media in Launceston on Saturday, Bob Brown Foundation activist Scott Jordan described the arrest as an attack on their right to protest.

"This is a gentle young man who has come down to defend Tasmania's rainforests and he has been treated excessively harshly," he said.

"[It] can clearly only be an attack on our rights to protest and designed to scare and intimidate people to prevent from carrying out those protests.

"This is an obscene act of overreach by Tasmania Police."

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Mr Brown also spoke out against the arrest.

"This is totally wrong, this is an effort to frighten and put off peaceful conservationists who are upholding the rules of nature," he said.

"We've got true blue Australian citizens standing up for national heritage and what should be world heritage.

"First they vilify conservationists and now they're locking them up."

The group said they held concerns for Mr Rodwell's welfare after he was not released on bail.

"To use charges like this to keep this man incarcerated over the weekend is just obscene and Tasmania police should be ashamed," Mr Jordan said.

"This young fellow is languishing in Launceston jail and unable to have visitors at a time when he should be out ... the whole thing is wrong," Mr Brown said.

In a statement, Tasmania Police confirmed Mr Rodwell had been remanded in custody after appearing in court on Friday evening.

He is due to appear before the Burnie Magistrates Court via Zoom on Monday.

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