Activist arrested for planning party for Queen's Covid diagnosis
Extinction Rebellion activist Eric Serge Herbert has been arrested over allegedly organising an "anti-monarch street party" in honour of Queen Elizabeth's recent Covid-19 diagnosis.
In a recent social media post, Eric called people to "rejoice by dancing" in Sydney's inner west suburb of Newtown this Saturday.
He also added that anyone who attended could "imagine the corpse of the oppressors being mangled beneath our feet."
The Facebook event page for the party said, "It’s about time we overthrow the queen and the rule of the monarch."
"We need sound systems, lots of glitter, tools to dig up the road, tires of barricades, fire and rage."
Her Majesty tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, and is reportedly experiencing mild cold-like symptoms.
Her positive diagnosis comes one week after her eldest son Prince Charles tested positive for a second time since March 2020.
According to the Daily Mail, defence lawyer Mark Davis argued that the party was a joke and that the 23-year-old was not actually planning to go ahead with the bash.
Police have alleged that in planning the party, Herbert breached the bail conditions granted to him when he appealed a 12-month prison sentence for blockading coal trains in the Hunter region of New South Wales last year.
Mr Davis relayed that his client denied breaching his bail and that the social media post was intended in jest.
"I’ll put this bluntly because I think it needs to be – this is a comedic post, it’s an ironic post," he said.
Magistrate Joy Boulos granted Herbert bail, agreeing he clearly did not intend to go to the party, but told him to stay away from social media.
Image credits: Instagram