The 15 month sentence that climate activist Deanna 'Violet' Coco was given for blocking one lane of traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for less than 30 minutes back in April of 2022 has been quashed.
Coco, 32, was issued with a 12 month conditional release order on Wednesday after judge Mark Williams heard that she had been initially imprisoned due to the false information that was provided by the NSW police.
She told reporters she would pursue compensation against the police after spending 13 days in prison.
“Obviously we need to continue our right to protest. Protest is such an important part of our democracy,” she said.
President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, Josh Pallas, said the revelation the police included false information in their case against Coco was “shocking”.
“In the lead up to the election on 25 March, pressure is building on premier Dominic Perrottet as the reality of how bad it is for protestors in NSW today sinks in,” he said.
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