Two arrested after Extinction Rebellion protest on Victoria Bridge
Members of a notorious climate action group have attempted to bring Brisbane traffic to a halt, with two protesters allegedly glued to a major city bridge.
QLD News
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TWO teens have been dragged to the Brisbane Watch House after climate protesters blocked one of the city’s main bridges.
Members of Extinction Rebellion began protesting on Victoria Bridge, with the group claiming on social media that two had glued themselves to the road.
A Queensland Police spokeswoman said an 18-year-old man and 17-year-old girl had been arrested and were taken to the watch-house.
The spokeswoman said disruption started at 9.45am and the bridge fully reopened to traffic at 10.30am.
Victoria Bridge CLOSED to all traffic except for buses due to protest activity. Vehicles on William Street (city) and Grey Street (South Brisbane) are being diverted. The public are thanked for their patience. pic.twitter.com/seeKETVk9K
— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) September 12, 2019
Bus services were unaffected, however general traffic was impacted.
A video posted to the Extinction Rebellion SEQ page named the two teens as Tiana and Connor, and showed them glued to the Brisbane CBD side of Victoria Bridge.
“Their future is at stake,” the unnamed cameraman said while watching police remove the two from the bridge.
Schoolchildren watched on as police blocked lanes, causing disruption for motorists heading both in and out of the city.
Opposition leader Deb Frecklington said this morning’s protesters were a waste of critical resources when they were needed most.
“It’s appalling protesters are glueing themselves to roads while our emergency services are fighting more than 60 fires,” Ms Frecklington said.
“These protesters are not only disrupting everyday Queenslanders, they are diverting police resources … Queenslanders have had enough of these protesters.”