Bruce Bertram Mahalski (aka Nye), 62, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
He was backed by a large contingent of supporters outside the courthouse, who endorsed his climate-emergency action.
Mahalski told the Otago Daily Times he went to the airport on July 22 and stood, holding an A3 sign saying "it’s a climate emergency".
The protest was an "art meets activism" project whereby he would stand silently in a high-profile location and a colleague would document any interactions with passersby.
Mahalski said he chose the airport because of Jetstar’s new thrice-weekly flights from the Gold Coast to Dunedin, which he believed had prompted a price war with Air New Zealand.
The artist said he had spoken to staff on the information desk about his presence and no-one seemed upset, until a security staff member served him with the trespass notice.
Given the airport was jointly owned by the Dunedin City Council and the government, both of which had declared a climate emergency in recent years, Mahalski said he found it odd they objected to his presence.
Weeks after the incident, he said he and a group of fellow protesters in matching T-shirts embarked on a similar demonstration at Christchurch Airport, which sparked no such controversy.
Mahalski returned to Dunedin Airport on August 26 where he was arrested and charged with trespass.
"I think that we have a situation where the planet is in freefall.
"The majority of people want action on climate.
"But we have a government that’s trying to make it disappear.
"And as an artist, I’ll do everything in my power to remind people it’s still a climate emergency.
"And unfortunately, if that means getting arrested at the airport, that’s something I’m prepared to do."
He will appear in court again later this month.
"It’s a battle for free speech," he said.
"I’ll absolutely defend this.
"I’ll defend this to the end."
