Extinction Rebellion serial pest Eric Herbert avoids jail for breaching Brisbane CBD ban

Extinction Rebellion figurehead Eric Serge Herbert has faced court for breaking his bail by entering the Brisbane CBD yesterday to take part in a protest.

UPDATE 1.10PM: Extinction Rebellion figurehead Eric Serge Herbert has been ordered to do community service after breaching his bail by entering Brisbane yesterday.

The 20-year-old was arrested by police wearing a red dress, veil and face paint in Queen St.

He was charged with breaching bail and contravening a requirement to give his name when asked by police.

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Herbert pleaded guilty to the charges in Brisbane Magistrates Court today.

Police prosecutor Matt Kahler suggested a 7-14 day prison term would be appropriate and he’d been instructed by his superiors to seek a custodial sentence.

Serial climate pest Eric Herbert takes part in a previous Brisbane CBD protest.

“He’s accumulated an extensive criminal history now in a very short time,” he said.

“Fines are not working.”

Magistrate Elizabeth Hall said she would have imposed a higher sentence if Herbert hadn’t spent yesterday and today in custody and if his offences yesterday were disruptive.

She ordered he perform 40 hours community service.

No conviction was recorded.

An Extinction Rebellion protest outside the Roma St police headquarters. Picture: Annette Dew

12.30PM: One of the environmental activists involved in an Extinction Rebellion protest yesterday has been fined $500.

Tarik Cutuk, 21, was marching through the CBD when he sat down on William St and put his arm into a metal pole, joining arms with another protester in what’s known as a “sleeping dragon device”.

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Traffic was obstructed for about an about.

Officers were forced to remove him from the roadway and metal pipe.

Today in the Brisbane Magistrates Court Cutuk pleaded guilty to obstructing police and drivers.

Magistrate Elizabeth Hall said Cutuk’s breach was “quite severe” ensuring maximum disruption.

A conviction was not recorded.

EARLIER: Banned CBD protester Eric Serge Herbert has been charged by police after allegedly being caught protesting in Brisbane on Monday, ­despite his bail conditions restricting him from entering the city.

With his face covered in white make-up, the notorious Extinction Rebellion member was arrested by police late Monday afternoon after allegedly being caught taking part in the first day of the group’s ­Rebellion Week.

Herbert was last week banned from entering the Brisbane CBD or using any bridges connecting to the inner-city, after being arrested for illegal protesting for the seventh time.

But images from Mr Herbert’s arrest at a protest that shut down George St late ­yesterday show the activist attempting to conceal his identity using face paint and a costume.

He was charged with breaching bail and contravening a direction.

A disguised Eric Herbet is taken into custody this afternoon. Picture: Nine News

His arrest came after ­hundreds of protesters packed Brisbane streets on the first day of a week-long series of protests by Extinction Rebellion.

Six protesters were arrested after shackling themselves to “locking devices” on the Victoria Bridge, in defiance of a ban by the Palaszczuk Government, which has introduced laws to deal with them.

While yesterday’s crowd of several hundred was the largest gathering of Extinction Rebellion in Brisbane so far, spokeswoman Emma Dorge promised havoc every day for the rest of this week.

“I would expect to see multiple acts of civil disobedience and economic disruption in the CBD throughout the week,” she said.

“We’ve tried every other alternative of change, we’ve tried petitions, we’ve tried non-disruptive protests, we’ve tried letters and contacting politicians, and they don’t work,” she said.

Extinction Rebellion activists march during Brisbane Rebellion Week on Monday. Picture: AAP/Regi Varghese

Ms Dorge defended the ­organisation’s use of lock-on devices, saying that they were nonviolent, and questioned the number of police at the protests.

“We are concerned that the police think it’s fit to direct public money and resources into penalising peaceful citizens,” she said.

Similar protests were also held in cities across Australia, with about 20 climate activists dragged into police custody in Sydney and hundreds gathering in Melbourne, blocking streets at peak hour.

Queensland Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington described current laws as merely “slaps on the wrists” and urged for harsher deterrents for protesters.

“The LNP has introduced tough laws to crack down on these job-destroying activists.

“We introduced these laws months ago. It’s time to get them passed,” Ms Frecklington said. “Enough is enough, Queenslanders have had it up to the back teeth with these selfish protesters.”