‘I’d do it again’: Protester defiant after actions stopped theme park shows

Footage from protesters at the popular Australian Outback Spectacular attraction showed dramatic scenes as the crowd turned on them and chased them from the venue.

Tempers flared when audience members who paid to watch the popular Australian Outback Spectacular show on the weekend were ambushed by protesters.

In dramatic footage supplied to news.com.au, men from the crowd can be seen entering the arena on the Gold Coast and trying to pull banners from protesters before police arrived.

Taking matters into their own hands, the crowd jumped on to the stage — which features animals performing — and wrestled with the Justice for Captives group, which held several protests at theme parks across the weekend.

Chelsea Hannah, 30, from Victoria, was the only one from group charged with public nuisance at the show on Saturday night.

She faced the Southport Magistrates Court this morning, following protests that caused public wars with families at Sea World on Saturday and Dreamworld on Sunday.

Video taken by the group on Saturday night showed angry crowd members follow the group into the foyer of the venue, continuing to wrestle banners off them and screaming at them to leave as police escorted them out.

Ms Hannah said the focus should have been on the conditions the horses were kept in and the fact that they were made to perform several times throughout the week.

“It’s a shame that (the audience) went to a show and it was interrupted but the greater shame is the horses and them being forced to perform, people standing on their backs, jumping over fire — that’s not okay,” she said.

“We need to bring it back to the animals, it’s not about the people.

“It’s not about the audience, they had 10 minutes of the show disrupted. This is the horses lives every single day.”

Members from the crowd pulled banners from the protesters at Australian Outback Spectacular on Saturday night. Picture: Justice for Captives

They tried to force the group to leave. Picture: Justice for Captives

A spokesman for Australian Outback Spectacular said the welfare and wellbeing of animals was of the highest priority and they employed a full-time veterinary and animal care team.

Despite the drama across the weekend, Ms Hannah said she would “very likely” do it all again and had no regrets.

“There’s been no financial penalty and I’m on a 30-day good behaviour bond,” she said outside court in a video posted to the group’s Facebook page.

She said the magistrate was “very fair” and understood they were just out to make the world a better place for the animals.

Chelsea Hannah outside court on the Gold Coast today. She travelled from Victoria for the protests. Picture: Justice for Captives/Facebook

Protesters stopped the dolphin show at Sea World. Picture: Justice for Captives/Facebook

“It’s not about us really though, it’s about the animals, and that’s why we’re here today and why we did what we did over the weekend,” she said.

“We’re going to keep standing strong until every (animal) tank is emptied.”

Five protesters were given $780 infringement notices, and proudly posted a picture holding their fines on Facebook.

The group said it made Australian anti-captivity history when the Sea World dolphin show was cancelled because protesters refused to get out of the water.

Some of the members have since claimed they were “brutally” treated by police, with video taken by the group showing a police officer appear to grab one of the women by the back of the neck to get out out of the water.

Protesters show off their infringement notices on the weekend.

Ms Hannah said the group had achieved everything they set out to and more.

They also stopped a seal show and climbed the roof of Dreamworld, a theme park separately owned.

“We have the world talking about this issue now,” she said.

Dozens of children were forced to watch distressing situations at Sea World on Saturday.

Some families left while others continued to wait patiently, hoping the interrupted show would resume.

The crowd booed the disruption, which started as soon as the show began, yelling at the group that they were ruining their days.

One protester then called parents “disgusting” for behaving in such a way in front of their kids.

Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates said Village Roadshow had a global record of helping sick and injured wildlife.

“They also promote marine conservation and awareness through their signature programs,” Ms Gates said.

“It is a pity the activists conveniently never mention the exceptional work done in these fields, preferring to make crude statements through their protests.

“There is no doubt wildlife awareness and conservation is much more advanced thanks to the work of organisations like Village Roadshow and Dreamworld’s Wildlife Foundation.

“That foundation alone has raised in excess of $3.5 million for the protection of tigers, koalas and kangaroos. I’d encourage these fly-in activists to do their research.”