Pr Jeff McKinnon: Extinction Rebellion protester fined $200
A retired Tasmanian pastor who blocked a busy intersection during a climate protest associated with Extinction Rebellion has been sentenced for a second time in a matter of months.
Police & Courts
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A retired pastor who pleaded guilty to two charges relating to the blocking of a busy Tasmanian intersection during a climate protest associated with Extinction Rebellion has been told by the sentencing magistrate not to “lecture” him.
Punchbowl man Jeffrey Alan McKinnon, formerly pastor of Launceston’s City Baptist Church for approximately 15 years, appeared in Launceston Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
He pleaded guilty to charges of causing a traffic hazard as a pedestrian and failing to comply with a direction of a police officer.
Both offences were committed as part of a climate protest at the intersection of St John and Paterson St at about 10.30am on February 27 this year.
According to the police facts, McKinnon was holding one end of a long banner, which was used to obstruct traffic, although he did allow a bus to pass through.
When police arrived and asked him to move on and not return for at least four hours, he declined. The court heard that McKinnon was asked by an officer if he intended on being arrested, to which he answered he did, and he was.
When asked if he would like to say anything to the court before the sentence was passed, McKinnon began reading from a lengthy letter.
Citing the late Stephen Hawking’s grim prognostications for the planet’s future, McKinnon said he was “profoundly concerned about the future for my children and grandchildren... based on the strong consensus of what climate scientists are saying”.
He went to go on, but was halted by Magistrate Simon Brown.
“I understand perfectly well the significance of the issue, I understand about climate change, you don’t have to lecture me,” Mr Brown said.
Mr Brown, finding McKinnon’s actions to be not “bad” examples of either offence, fined him $200 (Extinction Rebellion erroneously reported the fine to be $550), ordered he pay costs and levies of $71.40, and recorded convictions.
Just days after being charged with the current offending, McKinnon participated in two subsequent Extinction Rebellion protests, at the Launceston’s Commonwealth Bank and NAB branches.
He was charged with two counts of trespass relating to those prior protests and was fined $200, with convictions recorded.
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