Cash-strapped serial Extinction Rebellion protester Eric Herbert claims victim of ‘police lies’

A serial protester who was dragged from the front of a Brisbane courthouse has been slapped with a $400 fine, but claims he’s tight on cash.

A SERIAL protester who was dragged from the front of a Brisbane courthouse has been slapped with a $400 fine, but claims he’s tight on cash.

Eric Herbert, 20, who claims to be a member of the Extinction Rebellion environmental and anti-Adani movement, was yesterday dragged from the front of the Brisbane Magistrates Court by security guards and charged with contravening the direction of police.

Extinction Rebellion activist Eric Herbert.

Herbert, who has been locked up twice in recent months spent the night in the watchhouse before being sentenced.

The man claimed the circumstances of the offending, put forward by police prosecutor Sergeant Josh Kelly, were “police lies”.

The activist had previously been fined on two occasions after gluing himself to a CBD street on June 17 and then helping block the Victoria Bridge on June 26 in a canoe.

Eric Herbert protesting outside a Brisbane courthouse.

Herbert today told the court he was expected to pay his second fine, after previously being pinged $550 and $600 by the court, in the coming days.

“You’ve got money to pay a fine, have you?” Magistrate Walter Ehrich said.

Herbert replied: “Not very much”.

He must pay today’s fine immediately or will spend two more days behind bars, having already spent two days in custody.

Herbert had a conviction recorded, having been spared on two previous occasions.

Originally published as Cash-strapped serial Extinction Rebellion protester Eric Herbert claims victim of ‘police lies’