Telling-off for pro-Palestinians who ‘usurped’ Mardi Gras
A magistrate has issued stern remarks to pro-Palestine activists who stormed the Sydney Mardi Gras with flares as he sentenced them to good behaviour bonds.
Diego Garcia-Mirandaleaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney, Thursday, September 5, 2024. Photo: Bianca De Marchi/AAP
Six activists who jumped the barriers at Sydney’s Mardi Gras, holding pro-Palestine banners and flares, have been scolded by a magistrate for hijacking an event with a different decades-old message.
The unauthorised protest took place at Sydney’s biggest LGBTQI celebration in March at a parade which had 12,000 participants and around 129,000 people watching on.
Diego Garcia-Miranda, 25, Lucky Dodd, 30, Alexandra Claire Moulis, 35, Karli Jane Munn, 41, Miranda Kymalee Gibson, 43, and Claire Pettigrew, 39, were all arrested and faced Downing Centre Local Court for sentencing on Thursday.
They were part of Queer Solidarity with Palestine Resistance, and unfurled banners displaying the group’s name during the Mardi Gras.
Dodd, Moulis, Munn and Gibson jumped the barriers at the parade and marched along holding the banners.
When a police officer took hold of Dodd to try to remove them from the parade, Pettigrew then grabbed the officer’s vest and pulled.
Garcia-Miranda was also involved in the protest, holding a flare which emitted a reddish-pink smoke.
In court on Thursday, the group’s lawyer Paige Hackett said they were all valuable members of the community, most of whom were in court for the first time.
In sentencing the group, Magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis acknowledged the horrific events in Israel and Palestine.
“There is no one who was not in some way affected by what took place in October 2023 in the Middle East,” he said.
However, he said that the protest engaged in by each of the six individuals was anything but peaceful.
They had “usurped” the Mardi Gras parade for their own agenda, he said.
“Why someone … would impede the progress and the message which others have worked very hard to spread since the 70s is beyond me,” he told the court.
The six activists sat silently while surrounded by supporters.
Their actions had harmed others at the parade, they heard, with the smoke from the flares causing some in the crowd to have panic attacks or trouble breathing, Mr Tsavdaridis said.
He pointed out that Gibson was a school teacher in special education and had to keep an unblemished record due to her profession.
Pettigrew pleaded guilty to hindering or resisting a police officer and was put on a conditional release order for 18 months.
Garcia-Miranda was hit with the same penalty after pleading guilty to possessing a non-firearm that discharged irritant.
Dodd, Moulis, Munn and Gibson each pleaded guilty to one count of wilfully preventing the free passage of a person, vehicle or vessel and were given 12-month conditional release orders.
None of the activists were convicted but have to be on good behaviour while out in the community or could face being dragged back before the court.
Shareeka Helaluddin, 31, and Priya Panchalingham, 39, who also held burning flares as part of the unauthorised protest, faced sentence in August.
They were not convicted but were given 12-month and six-month conditional release orders respectively.
Report by Miklos Bolza/AAP
