Protest erupts as climate pest fights her jail sentence for blocking Sydney Harbour Bridge
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More than a hundred protesters have gathered outside the court as a climate activist who blocked the Sydney Harbor Bridge prepares to fight her prison sentence.
Earlier this month, Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco was sent to prison for a minimum of eight months after pleading guilty to seven charges, including using an authorized explosive without a prescription, possessing a bright light distress signal in a public and interfere with the safe. operation of a bridge.
The 31-year-old man immediately applied for bail based on an appeal, but Judge Allison Hawkins denied the request.
More than a hundred protesters gathered outside the court as a climate activist who was jailed after blocking the Sydney Harbor Bridge arrived to fight her sentence.
Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco pictured outside Downing Center Court before being sent to prison
The application will now be heard in the NSW District Court, with more than 100 people gathering outside the Downing Center on the Tuesday before the hearing.
The protest heard from a variety of speakers, including Greens Senator David Shoebridge, various unions and indigenous activists.
“The government has given half a million dollars in grants to fossil fuel companies,” Shoebridge said.
The protest is not the crime. The crime is in the government. They should be in the courts, not activists.’
Maritime Union member Paul Keating told the crowd that “the struggles of all workers are connected.”
He said the laws affecting Coco are the “most authoritarian laws” the country has ever seen.
Green Senator David Shoebridge was among the speakers at the protest.
The matter was brought up briefly in court on Tuesday morning when a supporter held up an Aboriginal flag at the back of the pitch.
At 8:30 a.m. on April 13, Coco drove a large rental truck onto the Cahill Highway on the Sydney Harbor Bridge and deliberately blocked a lane during rush hour, according to court documents.
As the truck clogged traffic, she stood on top of it, lit an emergency flare, and livestreamed the event.
After 25 minutes, the police arrived and forcibly removed the protesters from the iconic Sydney venue, with Coco resisting arrest.
According to court documents, Coco “was lying inert,” prompting police officers to forcibly carry her to the police vehicle.
Climate activists were furious after the news of Coco’s sentencing earlier this month.
The protest prevented a NSW ambulance that had deployed its lights and sirens from attending an emergency.
“Today’s actions have not only caused severe disruption to rush hour traffic, but this imposition of traffic prevented an ambulance from responding to an emergency with lights and sirens as it was unable to navigate through the increased heavy traffic. as mentioned above”, the documents posted.
Court documents revealed that Coco’s protest prevented a NSW ambulance from attending an emergency. In the photo, the protesters outside the court on Tuesday.
“This imposition on a critical emergency service has the potential to result in fatality.”
During her sentencing on December 2, defense lawyer Mark Davis told the court that a “striking fact” in Coco’s case was that she only blocked one lane on the Sydney Harbor Bridge when there were five.
“Simply put, the traffic may still be moving, there was no indication that there was a traffic backup,” he said.
Magistrate Allison Hawkins told Coco when she was jailed that she let “the whole town suffer” because of her “emotional reaction” and disregarded the other people it affected. In the photo, the protesters outside the court on Tuesday.
The court was told that Coco suffered from “severe climate change anxiety” and that her actions were personally motivated, as her boyfriend had been arrested for a similar protest at a soccer field.
Davis said his client was in a “state of great emotion” and would not normally have committed the crime.
Ms Hawkins questioned Mr Davis’ defence: “Normal members of the community going to work and going about their ordinary business have no right to be interrupted because she is in a state of great emotion.”
The defense attorney said anxiety about climate change was the “most prevalent anxiety” in Coco’s generation.
“There can be an overwhelming threat of fatality, they feel like they’re not being heard, the government isn’t doing enough, it’s leading to these types of actions,” Davis said.
Ms. Hawkins discovered that there was an “intentional element of planning” in Coco’s offense.
Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco arrested after Sydney Harbor Bridge protest.
“You knew this was illegal, you knew you would be arrested and you knew there would be consequences,” the magistrate said.
Ms. Hawkins told Coco that she let “the whole town suffer” because of her “emotional reaction” and didn’t take into account the other people it affected.
She said the 31-year-old’s actions deserved condemnation from both the court and the community.
You do damage to your cause when you perform childish feats like this. Why should they be interrupted for your selfish emotional actions?’ said Mrs. Hawkins.
‘You are not a political prisoner, you are a criminal’.
Coco was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in prison with a non-parole period of eight months.
She hugged her mother and her friend before two Correctional Services officers handcuffed her and led her out of court.
His defense lawyer immediately appealed against the sentence and appeared before the same magistrate to request bail while the appeal was pending.
Bail was denied.
Coco is a serial protester and a member of climate activist groups like Extinction Rebellion and Fireproof Australia.
She has previously been in court for speaking out against a topless mining operation and for setting fire to a pram outside Parliament House.