Climate change protester Deanna “Violet” Maree Coco avoids jail

A judge has overturned the prison sentence of a Sydney climate protester who was jailed for blocking traffic on the Harbor Bridge at rush hour.

Deanna “Violet” Maree Coco was sentenced to 15 months in prison in December last year for her involvement in a protest that caused delays in traffic during the morning rush hour in April.

The 32-year-old was part of a two-car convoy that blocked traffic on the bridge to raise awareness of climate change.

During a successful appeal on Wednesday, District Court Judge Mark Williams dismissed the Crown’s suggestion that Ms Coco was a “danger to the community” as a result of her protest actions.

Her sentence was overturned and Judge Williams gave Ms Coco a 12-month parole while convictions on two of her charges stand.

Violet Coco (centre) was sentenced to a maximum of 15 months in prison for the protest at Sydney Harbor Bridge

Ms Coco (pictured above) will be forced to return to Lismore later this month and will not be allowed to return to Greater Sydney until she appeals her sentence on March 15

Her conviction came after the NSW government passed legislation earlier this year to punish disruptive climate protests, which would see activists face fines of up to $22,000 and two years in prison.

Human Rights Watch researcher Sophie McNeill called Mr Perrottet’s comments “incredible”.

“Incredibly, Dom Perrottet finds it ‘gratifying’ that a peaceful climate activist has been sentenced to eight months in prison,” Ms McNeill wrote.

Former Bachelor presenter Osher Gunsberg warned Mr Perrottet is on a “slippery slope”.

“Protest is vital in a democracy and given what is at stake the scale of the protest was probably nowhere near an adequate response. It’s a slippery slope from here sir,” the TV host wrote on Twitter.

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk