Rosemary Penwarden, who lives near Dunedin, sent a letter to people who were slated to speak at the
conference in 2019, posing as the conference organizers. “I was trying to be creative,” said Penwarden, who is 64 and has been a climate protester since the birth of her grandson in 2011. She had been protesting outside oil conferences for years, but the 2019 conference was taking place in quite a small town and she was concerned few activists would be able to attend, she told CNN. Five days before the conference, she sent the letter by email, purporting to be from oil industry organizers canceling the event until further notice.
organizers told speakers that the letter was fake and the conference went ahead. Penwarden said she then heard nothing until the police came to her home months later, in the summer of 2020, arrested her and confiscated her laptop and mobile. Three years later, after a trial in the Dunedin District Court, Penwarden was found guilty on Wednesday of two charges of creating and using a forged document. “It was a surprise,” she said. “I’m reminded of the topsy-turvy world we’re in.
, for comment, but had not heard back at the time of publication. Sentencing is scheduled for September 8, according to Dunedin District Court. While the maximum jail sentence is 10 years, Penwarden said her lawyers are asking for “discharge without conviction.” Penwarden said she plans to continue pushing governments to take action against the climate crisis. “It takes a little bit of courage to step outside every day life.