Paul Toole slams vegan climate ‘pest’ rants about custody food not being vegan

One of the Blockade Australia climate protesters arrested this week got a rude shock about the food she was served in police custody — but Paul Toole wasn’t having any of it.

NSW Police Minister Paul Toole has jested at the idea of using cheese sandwiches to thwart Blockade Australia protests after an activist complained they weren’t vegan.

A vegan climate activist who brought Sydney’s traffic to a standstill sent a message to NSW Police to “get some real food” after complaining that her cheese sandwich wasn’t “vegan”.

Protester Harley McDonald-Eckersall, using her Facebook account “Holly Eckells” also whinged about “dry cereal and fruit” not being food, after spending the night at Surry Hills police station following her arrest.

But Mr Toole told The Daily Telegraph if protesters were “so concerned about their dietary requirements, they should heed the multiple warnings not to engage in illegal and unauthorised protests”.

Blockade Australia protester Harley McDonald-Eckersall has complained about the food she was served at the Surry Hills police cells after being arrested. She is a vegan and was given a cheese sandwich.

Speaking to 2GB’s Ben Fordham on Friday morning, Mr Toole told activists to “enjoy” their cheese sandwiches if they were arrested and detained.

“If I’d known that cheese sandwiches were going to be a deterrent, I would’ve made sure that they’d known a lot earlier that cheese sandwiches would be available at Surry Hills Police Station,” he joked.

“You will be arrested, you will be charged, and enjoy your cheese sandwiches.”

Blockade Australia protesters march through Sydney's CBD on June 27 disrupting the traffic. Picture: NCA NewsWire.

McDonald-Eckersall claimed she “held up cars for no more than 5 minutes” and was surprised to be refused bail – she cried silently into her blanket for seven hours in the holding cells, fearing “no one would be waiting for me” on the outside.

In a lengthy social media post published by Blockade Australia, who this week sparked widespread fury for disrupting Sydney’s motorists, McDonald-Eckersall even told police “a book would be nice” in the holding cells.

“P.P.S. just an fyi to the Surrey (sic) hills police station that dry cereal and fruit is not food and that a cheese sandwich is not vegan,” she says.

“Get some real food pls, thanks.”

A Blockade Australia activist blocked the Harbour Tunnel in North Sydney on the first day of illegal protests. Picture: Facebook (BlockadeAustralia)

McDonald-Eckersall, from Melbourne, also complained about “thin blankets”, spending half her time in a “see-through” custody cell with cold air.

“I’m not saying this to complain or scare people,” she says. “But I am angry.”

Protesters using milk crates to disrupt Sydney traffic. Picture: NCA NewsWire.

The climate pest says she had joined 150 other protesters, “briefly pausing at intersections” and causing “minor disruption” to traffic to “push the message of the climate crisis” and “cause material disruption to the economic capital”.

After a total of 29 hours in police custody she was released on bail but vows to “be back out there” and “break the system”.

“Those who know me know that this is not my first arrest. But this one rattled me.

“Right now I‘m going to take a rest, eat ice cream in bed and probably cry a lot. See you on the streets.

“P.S. Of the whole experience the one and only thing that made me cry silently into my blanket was 7 hours in when (sic) I had the crushing thought that no one would be waiting for me on the outside.”

She has previously protested about animal rights.