Extinction Rebellion activists fined $20 for vandalism ouside Parliament House
Activists from far left group Extinction Rebellion say they have been sent a “message” by the courts of approval for their actions in Canberra after only getting small fines.
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Protesters who vandalised Parliament and the Canberra home of the Prime Minister have declared that the mere $20 penalties for their acts are a message from the courts to “keep going” with more property damage.
Four Extinction Rebellion protesters were given a total of seven $20 fines by an ACT Magistrate on Wednesday for causing damage to Parliament House, the Lodge and the Department of Agriculture Water and Environment office in Canberra this month.
Protesters set off flares, superglued themselves to the parliament forecourt and used red spray paint to graffiti “duty of care” on to the pillars and wall at the front of the Canberra building.
The Lodge and the lobby of the environment department building were also defaced with red paint.
“With two $20 fines the magistrate sent me a clear message — keep going,” protester Andrew George said in a statement.
“The court outcome today is a continuation of what we are seeing around the world. The judiciary gets that the Code Red our planet faces, means civil disobedience — even property damage — is necessary and appropriate to get the action on the climate emergency.”
Each $20 fine was about five times less than the average parking ticket in the ACT.
The activists claimed that in sentencing, the magistrate said he took into account that a number of the protesters had spent time in Alexander Maconochie Centre prison on remand, or overnight in the watch house.
A fifth protester, Violet Coco, was released from prison after 14 days on remand, with her case adjourned to September 2 awaiting consent from the crown prosecutor for a trespass charge relating to her allegedly burning a pram outside parliament.
All five people represented themselves in court, pleading guilty to damaging Commonwealth property, among other charges. The protesters made the case that their actions were “motivated by the urgency to face up to the climate emergency”.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the climate protests, describing those responsible as selfish vandals.
“The Australian way is not what we have seen with the vandalism in our capital,” he said at the time. “I don’t associate in any way, shape or form that foolishness with the good-hearted nature of Australians who care deeply about this issue, as I do.”
Extinction Rebellion protesters have also targeted the Melbourne office of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, staging a sit-out on the roof and chaining themselves to the doors.
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Originally published as Extinction Rebellion activists fined $20 for vandalism ouside Parliament House
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