A woman who blocked a lane of traffic during a climate protest on Sydney Harbour Bridge was sentenced to 15 months in prison on Friday.
The incident, which occurred on April 13, was deemed disproportionate by human rights advocates.
The court ruled that 32-year-old Violet Coco, who was holding a flare, should serve her sentence in a correctional facility.
She pleaded guilty to various charges, including possessing an explosive device that was not prescribed and resisting arrest.
Her protest caused traffic to get backed up for around 25 minutes during the morning peak. She was also fined $2,500.
Coco will appeal against her sentence, and she was denied bail on Friday. She will remain in custody until her next hearing in March.
According to her lawyer Mark Davis, Coco had already complied with all of her bail conditions since her arrest.
It was “outrageous” that she was not granted bail before her appeal was heard, and he noted that her client had been following all of the conditions set by the court.
Mark Davis, her lawyer, called it “extraordinary” that she was not granted bail even though she had been following all of the conditions set by the court.
He noted that her client had been following all of the conditions set by the court, and she had been attending court regularly.
He also argued that her plan was to intentionally block the entire traffic flow during her protest.
According to the police, the protesters blocked an ambulance with their actions. However, Davis noted that this was not the case.
The incident occurred under the banner of a climate activist group known as Fireproof Australia. In a statement, the group noted that Friday was a sad day for humanity and democracy.