Extinction Rebellion: Third straight day of protests disrupting Melbourne traffic
Protesters are facing public nuisance charges after police cracked down on Extinction Rebellion activists causing havoc in the CBD.
Victoria
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Three women from Melbourne’s Extinction Rebellion protests are facing charges for blocking off city streets.
The charges include public nuisance, intentionally obstruct police officer, obstruct road by assemblage of persons and pedestrian obstruct path of driver.
The trio were among 10 people arrested during this week’s ‘mass disruptions’.
The three women were bailed to appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at a later date.
Three men and four other women will receive a penalty infringement notice for fail to obey traffic direction.
Protesters rallied at the National Gallery of Victoria on Wednesday, with one hopping into the fountain while playing a French horn.
They were earlier back on their bikes Wednesday morning as they embarked on another day blocking city streets.
The group’s ‘rebel ride’ went from Carlton Gardens to the CBD, with about 30 about cyclists taking part in the rain.
Donning rainbow flags with the Extinction Rebellion logo, the activists blasted loud music as they halted traffic with a police escort.
One protester was arrested for obstructing traffic at the intersection of Victoria and Rathdowne streets.
Outside the NGV, Red Rebels spokeswoman Dr Catherine Strong said their performative demonstration aimed to raise awareness specifically about rising sea levels across the world.
“The responsibility is on countries like Australia to be active … we need to do something,” Dr Strong said.
She said a musician had entered the NGV water feature to symbolise the ocean.
“It’s an analogy,” she said.
“We are here to add a bit of gravity and a bit of strangeness to this week.”
“What we do many sometime seem very extreme and disruptive and annoying but there is no time to waste.”
The procession made their way down the step to the riverside at Southbank before entering the food court and shopping centre where their walk ended.
The group were chanting through megaphones: “The fires are burning. We will keep returning”.
Portable speakers blasted rap music with lyrics “f--- the police” as they turned onto Flinders St.
Curious workers looked on from their buildings and work sites.
Police had to blare their sirens momentarily to force the protesters to move on.
Traffic slowed to a crawl along Flinders Street as the riders cycled past Federation Square.
The riders slowly cleared the road and began riding down Swanston Street, continuing to blast music and chant about “Climate justice”.
Police had to direct the group away from an oncoming tram.
The protesters were expected to follow their ‘rebel ride’ with further demonstrations at the NGV.
A ‘dance to extinction’ was also planned for Wednesday afternoon at Carlton Gardens, where the group have set up camp for the week.
On Tuesday afternoon, protesters chained themselves by the neck to a fence in the CBD.
A group of more than 100 protesters demanded immediate action on climate change.
They disrupted traffic as they marched from Carlton Gardens down La Trobe St into Elizabeth St.
Two separate groups of Extinction Rebellion protesters met at Bourke Street Mall to form a big rally.
Dozens of police, including mounted police and riot squad members, followed the group.
The protesters padlocked themselves to a metal barrier in the middle of the Flinders Lane-Queen Street intersection, which forced specialist officers to cut the section of the fence to which the women had attached themselves.
Police used a megaphone to warn protesters they would be arrested if they did not leave the road, which appeared to prompt more protesters to sit down in the middle of the intersection
A woman who stood her ground blocking traffic was arrested. She was marched off, still wearing a sign around her neck emblazonedwith the words “peaceful protest”.
A man in a wheelchair was also arrested with police picking up his chair and carrying him off.
One man yelled at the group blocking traffic to “get jobs”.
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