Cat Rose, Patrick Wright, and April Holcombe were charged with using offensive language in public after chanting “F*ck off” and “F*ck Fred Nile” during a Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) protest in September 2015.
Following a year-long court battle, the criminal charges were dismissed after the judge ruled that use of the word “f*ck” does not constitute offensive behavior, as the word has become part of everyday vernacular.
“We’ve won the right to say what we think of Fred Nile,” Rose said in a statement from CAAH, “but with marriage equality still banned by law, the homophobes haven’t been defeated."
Protesters have called the verdict a massive win in the fight for free speech and the right to protest, but still have a long way to go before winning their battle for marriage equality.
“We’ll keep protesting until we have our rights, and you can expect a few f-bombs along the way.”
The group’s next protest for marriage equality is scheduled for Saturday, November 26, at Sydney Town Hall.
