Spitting incident: Protester Nicola Minus charged with offensive conduct after fiery council exchange

GRAPHIC artist Nicola Minus has been charged with offensive behaviour following a spitting incident with Inner West Council administrator Richard Pearson.

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ALLEGED spitter Nicola Minus has been charged with offensive behaviour following her confrontation with Inner West Council administrator Richard Pearson on Tuesday night.

Police confirmed they laid the charge after reviewing the ugly incident that occurred during the volatile meeting.

The former UTS student has kept a low profile since footage of her appearing to spit on Mr Pearson as he attempted to exit the building emerged.

Former UTS student Nicky Minus has been identified as the alleged spitter. Picture: Supplied

The development comes amid an overwhelming public backlash against the conduct of Ms Minus and James McCallum, who knocked Mr Pearson’s papers onto the floor as he tried to leave.

A police spokesman confirmed the 26-year-old had been issued with a court attendance notice to appear in Newtown Local Court on June 16.

The offence carries a maximum $1000 fine and is defined as “a person shall not in, near, or within the view or hearing of a person in, a public place behave in a riotous, indecent, offensive or insulting manner”.

Remaining dignified throughout the process, Mr Pearson said he wanted to concentrate on the future.

Nicky Minus spits during Tuesday night’s fiery meeting. Picture: Bryant Hevesi

“As I’ve said before, I’ve moved on from it but I support the police doing their job,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

It is understood Ms Minus is “freaking out” about her new-found infamy, while Mr McCallum told the Daily Telegraph yesterday he believed what he did was justifiable peaceful protesting.

“I believe what I did was peaceful, called for, productive — it was an action designed to protect the community in the public interest. I regret that Pearson was assaulted,” he said.

“I can’t speak for the young woman and I denounce her actions as does members of the community I’ve spoken to. I denounce her actions as deplorable, violent and gross.”

Inner West Council Administrator Richard Pearson said he had moved on but appreciated “police doing their job”.

Riot police had to move in on Tuesday as a rowdy crowd, egged on by NSW Greens MP Jamie ­Parker and others, forced the abandonment of the meeting, the first after the Baird government sacked Marrickville, Leichhardt and Ashfield councils to form the new authority.

The protest mob vented their anger at the merger and new WestConnex motorway, and jeered loudly as Mr Pearson attempted to read the Welcome to Country.

Nicky Minus.

James McCallum.

Mr Parker refused to condemn Ms Minus’ actions and tried to claim he didn’t see her spit, despite clear video evidence showing him watching it.

The Greens MP for Newtown, Jenny Leong, cheered the chaos, posting on Facebook: “Amazing effort — the campaign for local democracy and to stop Westconnex will continue.”

The fallout continued last night as the newly merged Inner West council called off a planned citizenship ceremony.

Ms Minus, who produced a UTS honours project called Shame: Self Portrait, has also made a comic called Jerks.