Martin Wolterding banned from associating with other activists

Serial protester Martin Wolterding has been banned from associating with some of his high-profile fellow activists as the government’s tough new anti-protest laws are put to the test.

Serial protester Martin Wolterding has been banned from associating with some of his high-profile fellow activists as the government’s tough new anti-protest laws are put to the test.

After a night in the cells at Newtown Police Station following the blocking of the City West Link on Wednesday, the University of Western Sydney lecturer was hit with a two-year community corrections order when he fronted Newtown Local Court on Thursday.

A veteran of 50 years of activism, Wolterding, 77, was also hit with a $220 fine by Magistrate Lisa Stapleton who was armed with the new laws that could have put him behind bars for a maximum of two years with a $22,000 fine.

University of Western Sydney lecturer Martin Wolterding being arrested at a previous protest — the Spring Rebellion: Take Back the Streets climate and mining protest. Picture: Richard Dobson

He will be back before the court for breaching his community corrections order if he associates with fellow protesters Andrew Duguid, 46, Catherine Adams, 61, Sarah Edwards, 48, Jay Larbalster, 36, and Deanne Coco, 31.

All but Coco were arrested with Wolterding after they fronted the Fireproof Australia protest on Wednesday, angering commuters when they blocked Catherine Street at Lilyfield at 8.30am.

Wolterding, who migrated to Australia in 1988 from El Salvador and is an Australian citizen, pleaded guilty to “enter etc Sydney Harbour Bridge etc disrupt etc vehicle” and refusing or failing to comply with a direction.

Adams, who also spent the night in cells with police bail refused after her case failed to be heard at Newtown on Wednesday, had it adjourned to May 6 at Downing Centre Local Court. She was granted bail and did not enter a plea.

Martin Wolterding pictured in Martin Place. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Duguid and Edwards were both convicted on Wednesday after pleading guilty and were fined $220, given two-year community corrections orders and hit with the same non-association ban.

Wolterding has previously spoken about his decades of activism which saw him arrested in 1970 for transporting garbage without a permit when he carried dead fish and octopuses in a march against a nuclear power plant in Miami, Florida.

Since then the ecowarrior has marched against the Vietnamese war and been involved in Sydney protests including blocking the traffic at Broadway near Central Station in 2019 where the crowd chanted snatches from Greta Thunberg’s UN speech.

Magistrate Stapleton became the first judge to use the new laws since they were passed on Friday after series of protests that have blocked vital roads and freight corridors.