More than a dozen people charged over a protest staged in Queensland parliament last year, including the wife of the man who headed the state government's integrity probe, have faced court.
It is alleged a group of climate activists caused parliamentary proceedings to be paused for several minutes in November, after they stood up in the public gallery and began chanting.
Some of the men and women, aged between their 20s and 80s, were holding banners with messages opposing new resource projects in the state.
Fourteen people were charged with disrupting the legislature, including Lee Coaldrake, the wife of Peter Coaldrake, who led an independent review into culture and accountability in the public sector.
The other members of the group include Aisling Geraghty, Lisa McDermott, David and Judith Rasborsek, John and Rae Sheridan, Sasha Steindl, Dianne Tucker, Robin Keller, Miree Le Roy, Ian Hawksworth, Wendy Hawsworth and Tracey Hickey.
Mrs Sheridan and Ms Steindl were also charged with failing to comply with the direction of the speaker.
They each appeared briefly for the first time in the Brisbane Magistrates Court this morning, where their matters were adjourned to next month.
The group are all on bail and as part of their conditions were ordered by the court to stay away from the grounds of Parliament House.
Group says there has been a 'crackdown' on climate protesters
Outside court, the group said they would be fighting the charges.
Mrs Coaldrake said there was a "general overreach" across all levels of government in Australia, in relation to attempting to "silence protesters".
"It's not about the court or us being punished, we are here because we are not acting appropriately or urgently enough on climate change," she said.
"What we have in common is a belief in the science and also we're terrified about what the future holds for our children and grandchildren."
Her co-accused, Ms Le Roy, said she believed there had been a "crackdown" on climate protesters and could not understand why they were being "targeted" at the same time the nation was experiencing increasing natural disaster events.
"I'm not sure why the people who are supposed to protect us are walking away and actually trying to punish people who are trying to sound the alarm," she said.
Another co-accused, Mrs Hawksworth, said "we are not criminals by any stretch of the imagination".
"We just have a moral duty," she said.
"[The protests are] always non disruptive and non-violent – always peaceful."
