A sightseeing retiree will "probably relish" the chance to prove her innocence after she was accused of assaulting police at an anti-vaccination protest campsite, a court has heard.
Kerrie Lynne Woolley, 66, pleaded not guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday to charges of assaulting a frontline community service provider and resisting a public official.
She told the court "I have an exemption", enunciating every syllable through clenched teeth, after magistrate Louise Taylor instructed her to put her nose inside her face mask.
Court documents say police entered an unlawful campsite at Patrick White Terrace, between the National Library of Australia and Lake Burley Griffin, on Wednesday to serve notices informing the people staying there without authorisation that they needed to leave.
Ms Woolley, from the NSW south coast village of Narrawallee, allegedly approached a sergeant and "began to film and yell at him".
After the sergeant asked her to move back, she allegedly went behind him and pushed him in the back with sufficient force that he lost balance.
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The sergeant turned back, grabbed Ms Woolley and placed her under arrest.
"Other police members have grabbed the defendant and attempted to cuff her," court documents say.
"The defendant has resisted police efforts for a short time before police were able to control her and place her in cuffs.
"Whilst this has happened, a large number of protesters from the campsite have crowded around police and [begun] filming and yelling at police."
Police ended up having to form a "pod" around Ms Woolley and the arresting officers to get them through the crowd safely.
In court on Thursday. prosecutor Hannah Lee did not oppose Ms Woolley's release on bail but asked Ms Taylor to impose numerous conditions.
Legal Aid duty lawyer Edward Chen argued against these, requesting that the 66-year-old simply give an undertaking to appear in court as required going forward.
Mr Chen said Ms Woolley planned to stay in Canberra for the rest of the week to do some "sightseeing", which was why she did not want a condition stopping her being within 100 metres of the scene of her alleged offences.
He told the court the 66-year-old was "living a retired life where she travels around the country and does not usually reside in one place".
When Ms Taylor expressed concerns about the lack of a regular address, Mr Chen said his client was "adamant she is not guilty".
"She will probably relish the opportunity to vindicate herself," Mr Chen said.
Ms Taylor fired back: "I'm not interested in what she's going to relish. I'm interested in whether she's going to come to court."
The magistrate ultimately imposed conditional bail and listed the matter for a contested hearing on August 12, allocating half a day.
Another person arrested at the campsite on Wednesday, South Australian man Tony Michael Evans, 49, was also granted bail.
He did not enter a plea to a charge of obstructing police, and no documents relating to the allegation were tendered in court.
Mr Evans said he would start the 14-hour drive home soon after his release from custody.
His case returns to court on February 24, when he will be allowed to appear by phone.
A 42-year-old man, also arrested at the campsite on Wednesday for breaching the peace, was released from custody after agreeing to "keep the Queen's peace".
