Extinction Rebellion protester in talks with lawyers over fine for bridge stunt

A midwife who suspended herself from a tripod in traffic this week says she’ll appeal the hefty fine she got for the stunt - and it won’t stop her taking part in a week of ‘rebellion’ next week.

Extinction Rebellion protester Sophie Thompson blocking traffic on the Victoria Bridge this week.

A CLIMATE change protester who sat atop a 10m-high bamboo tripod in peak hour traffic this week says her fine for the stunt was excessive - but it won’t stop her doing something similar again.

Sophie Thompson, 22, said the financial penalty wouldn’t deter her from taking part in Extinction Rebellion’s International Week of Rebellion next week with a week of actions planned across the world - including Brisbane’s CBD.

“We’ve got lots planned throughout next week, and I’d encourage anyone to come join us,” she said.

“Things will be happening around the CBD. There’ll be different tactics used throughout the week.”

LINGERIE RETAILER ACCUSED OF 'PINKWASHING' IN LATEST CAMPAIGN

Ms Thompson said she had only been involved with Extinction Rebellion for a couple of months after working as a midwife for six months.

“I graduated last year and moved to Rockhampton and was there for six months. I did really enjoy working as a midwife and it was a tough decision to leave my job to focus on climate activism but I felt it was necessary,” she said.

“The sacrifice of me putting my career on hold is nothing compared to people experiencing the impacts of this crisis.”

Ms Thompson and her tripod on Victoria Bridge

Ms Thompson said she was a recent convert to climate activism.

“If you had this conversation with me two years ago, there’s no way I would’ve pictured myself to be in the position I am. I was very career driven,” she said.

“This started off as a side thing to my uni studies, but then I started seeing how urgent this is. We’re running out of time and there are very few people doing this type of work, whereas there are a lot more midwives who can take my place.”

Ms Thompson said she is living off her savings while devoting herself full-time to climate activism.

Sophie Thompson plans to appeal her fine for obstructing police.

“Part of the tactics are that we are probably going to upset some people, but the whole thing is about mobilising 3.5 percent of the population to create that social shift,” she said.

“We’re not going to convert everyone to our side, but it’s about that middle group of people who are passively supportive of our cause and pushing them over to being active participants.”

On Monday, the 22-year-old climbed a bamboo tripod and bought traffic to a halt on Victoria Bridge during peak hour.

“There was a considerable amount of planning and lots of practising rigging it up. All the tactics we use are non-violent so we wouldn’t have gone ahead if we thought it was dangerous in any way, and that involves a lot of preparation and organisation,” she said.

Sophie Thompson threw in her job as a midwife to become a climate activist with Extinction Rebellion.

“It’s a tactic that’s been used for decades in forests. Extinction Rebellion are showing the public these tactics that have been used but people don’t know about because they’ve been in obscure forests, not in public spaces.”

Ms Thompson said she expected authorities to use a cherry picker to bring her down this week, but said she came down of her own accord.

“They said they were going to cut the poles and lower me down, so I just decided to come down myself,” she said.

Ms Thompson said she had taken part in other climate actions before but that this was her first arrest, and she felt the amount of the fine was excessive.

SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: $1 A WEEK FOR THE FIRST 8 WEEKS (MIN. COST $4)

She was fined a total of $1050 in the Brisbane Magistrate’s Court after she pleaded guilty to being a pedestrian causing obstruction to a roadway and obstructing police, and refused to sign a good behaviour bond.

“I’m planning to appeal it because it’s a considerably high fine. I got fined $750 for obstructing police, but I wasn’t violent at all,” she said.

“I actually came down myself from the structure. I chose to self release, and $750 is a pretty severe penalty for something that was non-violent.”

She also encouraged people to get involved in the movement ahead of International Rebellion Week.

Extinction Rebellion SEQ are holding training sessions in non-violent direct action ahead of days of activism planned for next week.

“We’ll be running trainings and legal briefings on the Monday of Rebellion Week so people can understand what they’re participating in,” she said.

“It’s a personal decision whether you want to get arrested or not. There will be non-arrestable spaces throughout the week that people can join in on if they’re not comfortable getting arrested.”