Denmark climate activist Julie Marsh convicted of defacing Federal MP Rick Wilson’s Albany office

A Denmark climate activist has been convicted of graffitiing a Federal MP’s office in a protest about climate change. Julie Marsh, 58, appeared in Albany Magistrates Court last Thursday and pleaded guilty to one count of damage by graffiti for putting messages on the walls of O’Connor MHR Rick Wilson’s Albany office on November 1. As the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties — COP26 — began in Glasgow, Marsh said she used “spray-chalk” to write messages such as “tell the truth”, “you failed us COP-26”, “2050 too late: act now” and “climate criminals”. She also glued her feet to a wall outside Mr Wilson’s office. Police were called to the scene and used solvent to remove Marsh’s feet. The Albany protest was one of several held across the country by Extinction Rebellion members to condemn the Australian Government’s record on climate change and to demand action. The court was told on Thursday prosecution had downgraded the original charge of criminal damage to damage by graffiti. Marsh was initially set to take the matter to trial, but on Thursday she pleaded guilty to the downgraded charge. After entering her plea, Marsh asked for the chance to “speak to her actions”. However Magistrate Sandra De Maio said the court could not be used as a “political forum”. A teary Marsh told the court she was “extra emotional” during her hearing as she “almost lost her home” in this month’s Denmark bushfire disaster. Ms De Maio said Marsh’s references spoke highly of her but were mostly “political commentary”. “You had a point, I take on board you were mindful that it wasn’t permanent but it is damage, it’s graffiti,” she said. “There are avenues of protest, you just can’t damage things. “We need people like you to protest — you just have to go about it the right way.” Marsh was ordered to complete 80 hours of community work within a six-month period. After her hearing, Marsh handed a written statement to the Advertiser inside the courtroom. In the statement, she said her court appearance was timely given the catastrophic fires in Denmark and across WA . “The chalk has long gone without a trace, where as the devastation of the places we love is now a shocking reality just two months on from the government’s disgusting failure at the climate summit,” she said. “The forests are decimated, animals, insects, birds and wetlands scorched and burnt to death.” Marsh said the Federal Government had failed the country at COP26. “All this (and more) makes me feel increasingly outraged, sad and angry . . . our house is on fire and we should be mad as hell,” she said in the statement.