A woman protesting topless On stage at the Juno Awards in Edmonton in March, she says she agreed to pay a $600 fine.
Casey Hatherly, who goes by the name Ever, says she has pleaded guilty to one charge of trespassing.
The environmental activist, who was initially charged with infidelity, took the Junos stage while Canadian musician Avril Lavigne introduced a performance.
Across the protester’s bare torso were messages reading “Land Back” and “Save the Green Belt,” referring to Ontario’s decision last year to open a protected area for housing.
Hatherly says $100 of her fine will go to a victim support group.
She says the timing of her fine is interesting given that Alberta’s provincial election ended on Monday.
“Why would I want to give $500 to this province that literally just elected an oil lobbyist when a third of the province is on fire?” she said in a phone interview, referring to Prime Minister Danielle Smith. “What do you want my money for? Do they have to throw it into the fire?”
The activist, who is involved with a climate protection group called On2Ottawa, says they plan to take further action.
“It’s only May and how much of this country is actually on fire right now?” she says. “People don’t pay attention to that and I definitely don’t think the job is over.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on May 30, 2023.
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