More than a hundred prominent human rights groups and activists in Australia on Monday (December 12th) denounced the anti-protest laws “scandalous” and “repressiveimplemented to imprison a climate activist who was blocking traffic for 15 months.
Lamenting a “increasing repressiongroups ranging from Amnesty International to labor unions signed an open letter to say “Nope” to “the imprisonment of peaceful climate activistsand demand reform.
This letter was prompted by the early December sentencing of Deanna “PurpleCoco, 32, following a protest on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Sentenced to 15 months in prison
The activist had parked a rental truck on the famous bridge before climbing onto the roof of the vehicle and lighting a distress flare, thus blocking a traffic lane for approximately 25 minutes. She pleaded guilty to several offenses and was sentenced to 15 months in prison, with the possibility of parole after eight months.
Read alsoAnti-rich actions: these environmental activists who are reinventing the class struggle
The verdict was hailed by the conservative Australian political class including his uncle, Minister of State. But it led the UN special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Voule, to say to himself “worryof that prison sentence and the denial of bail ahead of the appeal scheduled for March.
A letter signed by 170 human rights groups
New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet said the protest had been a “inconveniencefor the people of Sydney and that imprisonment was “nice to look at“. Deanna”PurpleCoco will return to court on Tuesday to seek bail.
“The vast majority of Australians of all political persuasions support and voted for strong climate actionreads the letter signed by 170 leading human rights groups and activists. “People shouldn’t worry about the risk of heavy penalties just for taking to the streets.»