New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet reckons climate protestor Violet Coco‘s sentencing is “pleasing to see”, which is nice and not concerning in the slightest.
I’m kind of struggling to see how Coco being sentenced to 15 months in jail for blocking a single lane on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for 25 minutes is “pleasing to see”. I’d say a basket of kittens and puppies or Oscar Isaac is easier on the eye but, hey ho.
Perrottet made the cooked as shit comments at a presser on Monday morning.
“If protesters want to put our way of life at risk, then they should have the book thrown at them and that’s pleasing to see,” he said.
“We want people to be able to protest but do it in a way that doesn’t inconvenience people right across NSW.
“My view is that those protests literally started to grind our city to a halt.”
Premier Perrottet backs sentencing of Deanna “Violet” Coco. He says it is “pleasing to see” and warns others against taking part in protests that “inconvenience people”. “If protesters want to put our way of life at risk then they should have the book thrown at them.” pic.twitter.com/KlrC3Wxhi1
— Tamsin Rose (@tamsinroses) December 4, 2022
My brother in Christ, you know what’s really inconveniencing people in NSW? Devastating flooding across the state which is set to become more severe due to, you guessed it, climate change.
If we want to talk about grinding the city to a halt, a literal bloody lunch — sponsored by the NSW Government, no less — blocked the light rail along Sydney’s George St last Friday arvo when, you know, workers need to use public transport.
But sure, blocking a single lane on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for 25 minutes back in April is disrupting the entire state and causing the city to melt down. I don’t know how NSW has managed to recover.
Coco’s sentencing — and the fact she was refused bail, according to her lawyer Mark Davis — has been slammed by human rights advocates and a senior UN official.
Clément Voule, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly, wrote on Twitter that he was “alarmed” by her prison term and refusal to grant bail until an appeal hearing next year.
“Peaceful protestors should never be criminalised or imprisoned,” he said.
#Australia – I am alarmed at #NSW court’s prison term against #ClimateProtester 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗼 and refusal to grant bail until a March 2023 appeal hearing. Peaceful protesters should never be criminalised or imprisoned.👇🏽 https://t.co/uvxN0f7Inl
— UN Special Rapporteur Freedom of Association (@cvoule) December 2, 2022
Human Rights Watch researcher and journalist Sophie McNeil said the court’s decision was “outrageous” and that it was clear “climate protestors are being targeted for disproportionate punishment”.
Outrageous decision just now in a Sydney court
Climate activist Violet Coco given 15 month sentence, 8 months no parole after she blocked 1 lane of the Harbour Bridge for 25 mins in April
It’s clear climate protesters are being targeted for disproportionate punishment @hrw pic.twitter.com/NMpJvEB3Dt
— Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) December 2, 2022
Violet Coco and four other people were arrested in April for the protest by Fireproof Australia, per 9News.
She lit an emergency flare while standing on a parked Fireproof Australia truck at one point during the protest.
The Herald Sun reported that Coco pleaded guilty to seven charges including interfering with the safe operation of a bridge and possessing a bright light distress signal in a public place.
It’d be nice to see climate criminals, such as fossil fuel companies, copping jail sentences rather than peaceful, non-violent protestors.
