Climate Activists Fined $2,000 Each for Failed Protest at Woodside CEO's Home

Three climate activists from the group Disrupt Burrup Hub have been fined for a failed protest at Woodside Energy CEO Meg O'Neill's home in Perth. The activists, Emil Davey, Matilda Lane-Rose, and Jesse Noakes, were arrested in August 2023 while attempting to spray paint O'Neill's garage, leading to charges of attempted unlawful damage and trespass. During their sentencing, Magistrate Steven Heath noted that targeting O'Neill's home rather than her corporate office elevated the severity of their actions, resulting in fines of $2,000 for Lane-Rose and Davey, and $2,500 for Noakes. Outside the court, Lane-Rose criticized the hefty fines compared to penalties faced by large corporations for environmental damages, questioning the fairness of the legal consequences. The incident drew attention to the activists' frustrations over climate inaction and their view that prior protests had been ineffective. A fourth activist, Gerard Mazza, is scheduled to be sentenced later this month.