Extinction Rebellion protest; two men charged

Two men who held a protest that stopped peak-hour traffic in Brisbane’s CBD have been charged and will face court next month.

Two Extinction Rebellion protesters who attached themselves to the top of a truck, causing mass delays in Brisbane’s CBD, have been charged.

The pair, including serial protester Eric Herbert, will face court next month on charges of contravening direction and one count each of pedestrians causing an obstruction and obstructing a police officer.

A large police and emergency response was needed to get the two men down from the top of the rental truck they were perched on top of.

The truck had been used to block the intersection of Edward and Queen streets from 7am.

Firefighters work to remove activists from the top of a rental truck blocking traffic in the Brisbane CBD. Picture: Bianca Stone/7 News

Specialists from the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services were tasked to bring the pair down using a cherry picker.

The men were linked together by a ‘sleeping dragon’ arm device and had to be moved and placed into the back of a police van while connected.

The intersection was blocked for more than two hours while Adelaide St was gridlocked for a number of blocks in both directions.

The Extinction Rebellion protest in Brisbane CBD. Photo: Bianca Stone

During the protest, Herbert was dancing with a megaphone on top of the truck before lighting a green smoke flare.

Herbert was shouting into a megaphone while the protest is being livestreamed on Extinction Rebellion’s Brisbane Facebook page.

The group’s banners slung from the rental truck include the lines “Defy Disaster, Disrupt the CBD” and “Demand a Climate Citizen’s Assembly”.

Protesters block Edward Street in the Brisbane CBD. Picture: 7 News

The protest is causing major peak-hour delays. Picture: 7 News

Queensland Police Service Inspector Geoffrey Acreman said the cost to taxpayers “would have been considerable,” as he explained that Extinction Rebellion, like all other Queenslanders, have the right to protest within the constraints of the law.

“Protests are always encouraged if they’re done lawfully,” he said.

“If they’re done unlawfully, that’s when they become a massive inconvenience and extraordinarily inconsiderate.

“Their right to protest exists if they do it lawfully, their right to impinge on everybody else’s freedoms does not exist just because they say ‘’oh I want to protest”.

Insp Acreman said today’s response from emergency personnel was significant, and the cost to taxpayers “would have been considerable.”

“In terms of our policing resources and Queensland fire resources, (the response) was extensive,” Insp Acreman said.

“But that’s only minor to the inconvenience to the general public on the way to work. Their time is money as well.”

One frustrated morning commuter suggested the group could protest in less disruptive ways, before another bystander interjected him in defence of the notorious climate activist group.

“They’re achieving nothing, the roads are blocked up, there’s more pollution because of the traffic being backed up and having to go around them,” Tim Wilson said.

“Why don’t they just petition directly to the government and not cause congestion and problems like this. This doesn’t achieve anything constructive.

“It’s terrible and it doesn’t achieve anything positive for me.”

Lauren Cole, who was standing with Mr Wilson, rebutted:”Obviously it’s disrupting everybody but we only have one world, one earth.”

“Good on ‘em. I try to minimise my footprint by catching public transport, whereas these guys are actually doing something,” Ms Cole said.

Asked whether it was the correct way to gain attention, a third bystander, Adele Renwick said: “They’ve been through the constructive ways, they’ve done that,” Ms Renwick said.

“Petitions have been made and the government isn’t listening. Peaceful protests that don’t disrupt anyone have already been made and people don’t listen. So maybe it’s time for some disruption.”

The protest action comes as the group is set to hold a larger “nonviolent action to disrupt the Brisbane CBD” in Post Office Square this Thursday afternoon.