Climate change activists promise commuter chaos in Brisbane every day this week

Frustrated city commuters are in for a rough week with serial activists promising more blocked streets. It follows the arrest of six protesters on the Victoria Bridge today.

CLIMATE activists are refusing to back down despite a series of arrests on the streets of Brisbane, with Extinction Rebellion promising extensive disruption for commuters tomorrow and the rest of the week.

Six protesters were arrested after locking themselves to primitive devices on the Victoria Bridge, in defiance of a ban by the Palaszczuk Government, and were promptly thrown in the back of paddywagons, off to spend a night in the watch-house.

Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Emma Dorge however promised havoc every day for the remainder of this week.

Brisbane Airport flight times face disruption under Extinction Rebellion manifesto

Who are Extinction Rebellion’s best-known activists?

“I would expect to see multiple acts of civil disobedience and economic disruption in the CBD throughout the week,” Ms Dorge said.

She said the protests would continue until the four demands by Extinction Rebellion were met, being climate action, telling the truth, preserve biodiversity and dismantling colonial systems of oppression.

“We’ve tried every other alternative of change, we’ve tried petitions, we’ve tried non-disruptive protests, we’ve tried letters and contacting politicians, and they don’t work,” Ms Dorge said.

While today’s crowd of several hundred was the largest gathering of Extinction Rebellion so far, Ms Dorge warned that the largest acts of civil disobedience were expected through the rest of this week.

A protester in the back of a paddywagon at today’s Extinction Rebellion protest. Picture: Peter Wallis

The activist also defended the organisation’s use of lock-on devices as nonviolent and said they didn’t approve of the amount of police resources used at the protests.

“We are concerned that the police think it’s fit to direct public money and resources into penalising peaceful citizens,” Ms Dorge said.

Similar scenes were also seen in cities across Australia, with about 20 climate activists dragged into police custody in Sydney and hundreds gathering in Melbourne, blocking streets in peak hour.

One of the devices protesters used to block the Victoria Bridge. Picture: Peter Wallis

With more protests looming, state opposition leader Deb Frecklington described current laws as merely “slaps on the wrists” and urged for harsher deterrents for protesters.

“The LNP has introduced tough laws to crackdown on these job destroying activists — we introduced these laws months ago it’s time to get them passed,” Ms Frecklington said.

“Enough is enough, Queenslanders have had it up to the back teeth with these selfish protesters.”