Five activists who claim they glued themselves to a Civic building in a protest blockade have maintained their innocence and will take their climate fight to a hearing.
John Max Wurcker, Nicholas Orde Jamison Abel, Katherine Kelly, Anna Molan and Catherine Anne Adams faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday, each pleading not guilty to a charge of unreasonable obstruction.
The activists allegedly glued themselves to the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association building on February 27 attempting to block its Marcus Clarke Street entrance.
The protest of Australia's peak national body representing oil and gas took place on the anniversary of the 2022 Lismore floods in northern NSW.
Described as a climate scientist, a retired psychologist, a graphic artist, a former consultant and a former public servant, the five alleged offenders are from a coalition of climate groups.
They include Extinction Rebellion ACT, Move Beyond Coal ACT, Stop Fossil Fuel Subsidies and the Peoples Climate Assembly.
"The activists from a number of organisations at the non-violent blockade were calling for the ending of fossil fuel subsidies, a stronger safeguard mechanism with limits on offsets and no new coal and gas projects," the coalition said Wednesday in a press release.
The alleged offenders were legally represented by former ACT attorney-general, Bernard Collaery.
They are set to return for a hearing on October 31.
