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| Police arrest Iain Fogerty in New Farm. |
A man who wore an "I'm with stupid" T-shirt near LNP campaigners during the Queensland election campaign has pleaded not guilty to public nuisance.
Iain Fogerty, of New Farm, was arrested on January 9 after police received complaints that he had inserted himself among campaigners in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley.
More than 10 police officers attended the incident, which happened in the first week of the campaign.
Fogerty, who operated the now-defunct Not Campbell Newman parody account on Twitter, was released on watch-house bail and his matter was briefly mentioned in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Dressed in a dark suit, he sat in the back of the court while his lawyer Peter Shields entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
His matter was adjourned until March 4.
Outside court, Mr Fogerty remained silent while Mr Shields said he was confident his client would be found not guilty.
Mr Fogerty has agreed to donate the "I'm with stupid" shirt to the State Library of Queensland, where it will be kept with other election material.
COMMENT: This was never anything serious, hurtful or disorderly. How can this be a "public nuisance" when the people of Queensland essentially backed this protester on Saturday over his right of free speech. The Police Commissioner Ian Stewart should step in and withdraw this charge in the interests of fairness and reasonableness. We should all move on from the Newman era of non-accountability and Commissioner Stewart can play his role in helping this healing process.
