Anti-Adani protesters clash with public, police in Brisbane CBD
Organisers have threatened more disruption, following protests which brought Brisbane’s CBD to a standstill on Friday night. Five were arrested after supergluing themselves to an inner-city road.
QLD News
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ORGANISERS of a Brisbane traffic-stopping protest against Adani have vowed to do it again after people who glued their hands to the street were arrested.
But the hundreds of people who rallied on Friday evening have been told to consider the livelihoods of regional Queenslanders.
Six men and one woman were detained for breaching the peace but no charges were laid from the anti-coal mining action in Brisbane CBD.
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A further action is planned for July 5, with organisers calling to “stop the cities to stop Adani” after labelling the protest success.
“There isn’t a question of how many people disapprove this mine,” organiser Catherine Robertson from Uni Students for Climate Justice told AAP on Saturday.
“The Queensland Labor government just wanted to sweep the approvals through. They didn’t want there to be a huge reaction.
“They thought that most people would just take this lying down.
“The opposite has happened. The movement’s only going to grow.”
Adani has declared it is full steam ahead for its controversial mega coal mine in central Queensland after the state governmentissued the final approval needed to begin construction.
On Friday, five people had glued themselves to the street and were removed by officers at the mostly peaceful march in the city centre.
Demonstrators gathered in Reddacliff Place about 5pm, and after speeches the large crowd marched across Victoria Bridge.
They staged two brief sit-downs before finishing in South Bank, causing “significant disruption” to peak hour traffic, policesaid.
But publican Kel Appleton, from the central Queensland town Clermont near Adani’s Carmichael project, has taken aim at theprotesters, saying the region will benefit from the mine.
“It should have happened eight years ago. We’d have been billions of dollars in revenue in front,” he said.
“People up here have got better things to do on their weekends rather than hanging around the city streets blocking peopledoing their thing.”
EARLIER:
Five protesters who glued their hands to the street were among seven people arrested at a Brisbane rally against the Adani mine on Friday night.
Police say six men and one woman were detained for breaching the peace on Friday evening but no charges were laid.
Five had glued themselves to the street and were removed by officers at the mostly peaceful march in the city centre on Friday.
Demonstrators gathered in Reddacliff Place about 5pm and, after speeches, the large crowd marched across Victoria Bridge.
They staged two brief sit-downs before finishing in South Bank, causing “significant disruption” to peak hour traffic, police said.
Daniel Heggie was one of the protesters taken from Grey St last night, just days after he faced Brisbane Magistrates Court where he was fined $350 for his part in a vegan protest at a Warwick abattoir in April.
Another involved in last night’s protest was Eric Serge Herbert, 19, who was earlier this week fined $550 for gluing himself to busy Queen St on Tuesday morning.
“I’ve done this because we have had an environmental movement for many years and all the regular channels we have chosen have not worked,” Mr Heggie said.
“I had no choice but to take non violent action,” he said.
“I’m not trying to change people’s views but show our leaders they need to lead.”
He said he was prepared to “be arrested because I feel we have no other choice.”
Mr Heggie said it was the beginning of many non violent protests, followed by a planned August 6 mass “Rebellion” that would continue until the government listens.
Last night’s protesters were released without charge about 11pm.
The demonstration came after a protest rally and march that shut down parts of the city at peak hour, causing congestion chaos and sparking conflict between activists and the public.
Close to 1000 activists descended on Brisbane City at 5pm, with the number rising to close to 2000 by 7pm.
The large group marched to ABC headquarters in Grey St, followed by a heavy police presence, demanding a live cross, which was ignored by the network.
During the march members of the public, disrupted by the action, yelled abuse at protesters.
A rally spokeswoman told the crowd “legal advice and superglue” were readily available.
The five who did glue themselves to the road vowed to stay all night, but were removed by police about 9pm.
Queensland Resources Council deputy chief executive Judy Bertram said similar protests in regional centres had failed and urged the students to stay safe and follow all police instructions.
Many reported missing events and occasions, while Uber and cab drivers told The Courier-Mail they lost money.
US tourists Sean and Connie Rowland said they were unable to get to their hotel.
Resources Minister Matt Canavan said voters had given their verdict on the mine at last month’s federal election.
An Adani spokeswoman said the protesters were entitled to their opinions.
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