Climate protester Miss Glue slammed for using court as ‘political platform’

A 23-year-old environmental protester who brought traffic to a standstill last month has been berated by a magistrate.

Eric Serge Herbert and Ebony Louise Mombaerts protesting government inaction on climate change by attaching themselves to the road in Post Office Square, Brisbane. Mombaerts pleaded guilty today to public nuisance today in the Brisbane Magistrates Court. Picture: Liam Kidston.

A CLIMATE protester who glued herself to a Queen St crossing in peak hour has received a spray from a Brisbane magistrate for using the court as a “political platform”.

Vocal Magistrate Suzette Coates on Tuesday referred to Ebony Louise Mombaerts as ‘Miss Glue’ when she faced court in Brisbane for supergluing herself to a Zebra crossing in what was described as an act of environmental activism last month.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to public nuisance in the Brisbane Magistrates Court and was slapped with a three-month good behaviour bond.

Mombaerts will be required to pay $700 if she commits another criminal offence during the three-month period.

Ebony Louise Mombaerts (left) and co-accused Eric Serge Herbert glued themselves to Post Office Square in protest of government inaction on climate change. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Ms Coates, who had previously sentenced Mombaerts’ co-accused Eric Serge Herbert, told the woman: “I’m not here as the political platform, you’ll have to go out to the university to do that if you want to, but I’m not here for that”.

“I’m here for clogging up the streets of Brisbane,” she said, berating Mombaerts for blocking the busy CBD street for nearly three hours last month.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Josh Kelly told the court Mombaerts, who claims she is a member of the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion, blocked the street where “heavy traffic travelling in both directions”.

Ebony Louise Mombaerts faced the Magistrates Court today. Picture: File.

He said several buses were forced to come to a complete stop during the incident.

“ … significant disruption was caused to Brisbane city including unsuspecting members of the community who were travelling to their respective occupations … and going about their day to day business,” Sgt Kelly said.

When asked about her decision to protest climate change by gluing herself to the street, Mombaerts said: “I personally believe that what happens to me in this case isn’t the concern, as we’re rapidly destroying the earth.”

Ms Coates said Mombaerts was entitled to her point of view but urged her to be more considerate of working members of the public in the future.

Originally published as Climate protester Miss Glue slammed for using court as ‘political platform’