More than a dozen climate activists are facing possible jail time over protests in Sydney’s city centre this year after being charged under the same controversial laws that led to Deanna “Violet” Coco being handed a 15-month prison sentence.
Court documents seen by Guardian Australia show a string of activists linked to the climate group Blockade Australia have been charged under the laws, which introduced a two-year jail sentence for protests that block major roads, bridges or tunnels in New South Wales.
The bulk of the charges relate to two protests, on 27 and 28 June this year. At the time, activists marched from Hyde Park and through the central business district in what police allege in court documents was an “erratic unlawful assembly” that caused “serious disruption” to pedestrians and vehicles.
After Coco’s jailing for a minimum of eight months over a protest on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in April, the cases highlight the way police have used the new laws to crack down on climate protesters and reveal the potential for several other activists to face jail time.
In court documents, Blockade Australia is described as an “issue motivated group” with “a mission to coordinate centralised, sustained, and disruptive actions”. Police accuse members of the group “targeting key choke points” in Sydney’s CBD.
They describe the June protests as “erratic and volatile”, accusing the climate activists of “abhorrent” behaviour including launching “projectiles” such as garbage bins and traffic signs, causing “significant disruption to peak hour traffic”.
“Blockade Australia amassed in Sydney CBD to cause serious disruption, the [sic] were spread out, wide across the roadways and spread out in distance walking at a fast pace and at times running on the roads and through intersections which caused serious disruption to pedestrians and vehicles,” police allege in one charge sheet seen by the Guardian.
Among the protesters facing possible jail time is a 74-year-old Sydney man, Ian Colvin. According to police documents filed in court, Colvin was allegedly seen at the 27 June protest “beating a drum and cow bell” and is “captured on footage being an active participant in the protest”.
Colvin was arrested the next day at a cafe in the CBD when he was “in possession of the drum and cowbell”, police allege.
He now faces three charges, including causing “serious disruption” at an intersection linking to the Cahill Expressway, which is a “gazetted main road” under the legislation passed this year.
In another case, police allege 51-year-old Queensland resident Alister Ferguson had no prior convictions but was identified among about 150 other protesters taking part in the 27 June protest.
According to court documents, Ferguson is alleged to have “run towards a police officer” and thrown “two empty milk crates” during the protest.
The next day, Ferguson was allegedly seen at the second protest at the intersection of William and College streets in Sydney. The police documents allege Ferguson was seen “filming police interact with other protesters”.
During an appearance in court in June, Ferguson was in tears when he addressed the magistrate.
“We’re good people and this is what you do to us,” he said at the time. “This is messed up – all we’ve done is listen to the scientists.”
Since the protests many of the activists have been subject to strict bail conditions.
Greg Rolles, accused by police of being one of the leaders of Blockade Australia, is facing the same string of charges. The police facts tendered in court allege he was seen to be walking with other activists during the 27 June protest.
Since then he has been banned from associating with a list of 38 other people, as well as from using any encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp.
The use of the new anti-protest laws – passed by the Coalition government in April with the backing of the Labor opposition – have been subject to intense criticism since Coco’s jail sentence.
After her sentencing on Friday a senior UN official said he was “alarmed” by the sentence, while the head of Unions NSW, Mark Morey, called it “wildly excessive”.
