Rebel protester claims to have filmed live video inside police watchhouse

An Extinction Rebellion protester who smuggled her phone into a watchhouse and made a live video after being arrested says police have warned her she faces a “complete strip search” if she’s ever arrested again.

AN Extinction Rebellion protester appears to have smuggled her phone into a watchhouse after being arrested in Brisbane.

Emma Dorge, going by the name Emma Jade online, made the 14-minute post to her Facebook yesterday morning.  

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“I’m coming to you live from the Roma St watchhouse now,” she says at the beginning of the video.

The protester posted about how she was “arrested for breach of bail in CBD despite not being within those bounds”.

Ms Dorge said she wasn’t charged over the incident, but was told she would be strip searched at the watchhouse after any future arrests.

“They didn’t charge me - apparently there is a charge - but they did say every time I’m arrested, they’ll be conducting a complete strip search because I’ve been known to have contraband,” she said.

Extinction Rebellion protester Emma Dorge

A QPS spokeswoman responded to the incident this afternoon.

“A 23-year-old woman was taken to the Brisbane watch house in relation protest activity,” the spokeswoman said in a statement.

“As part of her admission to the watch house she was searched using a wand and a pat-down search which provided a negative detection.

“The woman was taken to the Roma Street court cells for her appearance.

“Police became aware the woman was livestreaming from within the court cells and was further searched.

“Police subsequently located a mobile phone and a tube of superglue on the woman.

“Police have reviewed the incident and whilst her behaviour was concerning, no further offences were detected.”

During the video Ms Dorge says she might have to stop filming quickly because she is in the watchhouse and also claims the “cops are bad at pat down searches today”. 

The video was posted with a written message about climate change.

“Our lives, our ecosystems are a stake,” she wrote.

“Every morning I wake up exhausted and terrified of the world we live in and how much worse it’s going to get.

“And if you’ve got the privilege and ability to have some sort of resistance, and you dont (sic) then, I’m angry at you too. You’re living on stolen land, in an illegal occupation of so called Australia and you’re watching the sixth mass exinction (sic) unfold. Time is running out and gf we know how to fix this.”

Ms Dorge also took selfies inside the watchhouse before her phone was discovered by staff as she filmed other Extinction Rebellion protesters doing tai chai in their cells.

“I think I maybe got a bit too brazen filming the tai chi and they found it,” she said.

Ms Dorge said taking the phone into the cells wasn’t planned.

Emma Dorge videoed fellow protesters doing tai chi in the Brisbane watchhouse.

“It was completely spontaneous,” she said.

“They didn’t find it in the pat down, and I didn’t answer their question when they asked me if I had any property on me. It was a spur of the moment thing and I thought I should do something with the opportunity.”

Ms Dorge said being in the watchhouse was a dehumanising experience, but she felt it was necessary.

“I do it because I can and I think we should weaponise our privilege and do something to create change rather than just tread water,” she said.

She added there were also some positives to take out of the Premier’s threat to jail protesters.

“I think it’s showing that what we’re doing is starting to work to some extent because we’ve definitely got everyone’s attention,” she said.

“The fact that they’re bringing in harsher laws it is indicative that something is working.”