Anti-Adani protesters ordered to leave by police

An elderly Brisbane woman has been arrested after she locked herself in a handrail outside of Townsville’s Adani HQ.

Barb Nielsen protesting outside Townsville’s Adani office.

ELEVEN protesters were issued a move on order by police after protesting out the front of Adani’s Townsville office.

An elderly woman locked on to a hand rail by the neck.

Frontline Action On Coal said 75-year-old Barb Nielsen, of Brisbane, was concerned about the impact of climate change so had decided to lock herself to a guard rail outside.

“I know that new coal is the last thing the world needs. I want to make my case clearly and directly and so have brought it to the front door of Adani’s headquarters in Queensland,” she said.

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Barb Nielsen, 75, locked herself to a handrail by her neck outside of the Adani headquarters in Townsville.

She refused to free herself after police issued the move on order. She was arrested and taken to the Townsville Watch House and is expected to front court at a later date.

“I don’t feel I have any other choice. I have a moral duty, standing up for the young people who are going to find a totally different world the way it’s going unless we can stop carbon dioxide emissions from climbing any further,” she said.

“We’ve seen Great Barrier Reef effects, we’ve seen bushfires, we’ve seen towns running out of water, droughts that are some of the worst that we’ve ever experienced.”

Ms Nielsen said wearing the lock-on device was “a little uncomfortable”.

“I don’t know if it’s effective or not, but in the past it has been the only that’s worked for suffragettes and civil rights in America and so on,” she said.

“It’s when you get people willing to stand up and be arrested and so on that things may change.”

Today’s protest in South Townsville did little to disrupt operations, other than distract a few Adani workers earlier in the morning who came downstairs and laughed at the protesters.

Trucks and a large 600 tonne mining excavator have been assembled in preparation ahead of the Carmichael project construction.

Ms Nielsen was joined by Frontline Action on Coal activists as well as members of Stop Adani Townsville and Stop Adani Magnetic Island groups.

Originally published as Anti-Adani protesters ordered to leave by police