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Extinction rebellion protests erupt across Australia, with 'disruptive' action planned in most cities

A serial climate change protester has avoided jail and instead been given 40 hours of community service after breaching his bail conditions and protesting in Brisbane's CBD.

Stephanie Bedo, Shannon Molloy and Ally Foster
less than 2 min read
October 8, 2019 - 10:57AM
Arrests mount in Sydney as climate protests continue

Climate change protests are planned across Australia today, with organisers promising 'disruptive' action to raise awareness of the cause.

Welcome to news.com.au's live, rolling coverage of the Extinction Rebellion climate change protests taking place across Australia today. We'll bring you the latest updates throughout the day.

Updates

29 people arrested in Brisbane

Police have arrested 29 protesters in Brisbane's CBD today.

The people, aged from 19 to 75, have been charged with a range of offences including being a pedestrian on a roadway causing an obstruction, obstruct police and contravene direction or requirement.

A 49-year-old Brandy Creek man has been charged with unregulated high-risk activity after allegedly climbing over Story Bridge and dangling in a harness.

At around 8am a vehicle drove along George Street and dropped barrels containing concrete and other objects at the intersection of Ann & George Street.

Two protesters allegedly locked themselves to a barrel, with a third protester locking onto another barrel.

The vehicle continued along George Street where a protester allegedly locked themselves onto a barrel, which was positioned on the tray of a vehicle, at the intersection of George Street and Turbot Street.

A boat trailer was also blocking the roadway between George Street, Turbot Street and Ann Street. Five protesters allegedly locked themselves onto the trailer using devices.

Police and specialist officers attended all three incidents and were able to remove protesters from the devices without any injuries.

Seven people were taken into custody after police received reports of multiple protesters inside a building on Turbot St.

Those that were arrested will appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court.

Serial protester avoids jail

An Extinction Rebellion ringleader has avoided jail after breaking his bail by protesting in the Brisbane CBD yesterday.

Eric 'Serge' Herbert was arrested yesterday wearing a red dress and face paint at a protest in Queen St.

He faced Brisbane Magistrates Court today and pleaded guilty to the charges of breaching a bail condition and failing to provide a name and address to police.

He avoided a conviction and was given 40 hours of community service.

The court heard he had now accumulated more than $2000 in fines.

Last week Herbert was banned from entering the Brisbane CBD after being arrested for illegal protesting for the seventh time.

Picture: Nine News

Flashmob planned on Sydney trains tomorrow

Extinction Rebellion protesters are planning to disrupt Sydney trains tomorrow morning, with members planning a flash mob through numerous carriages

Protesters are planning to meet at Belmore Park outside Central Station at 9am tomorrow to prepare for the protest.

"Bring musical instruments if you have some and like playing them, bring signs, dress as theatrically as you are inspired and be ready to break into groups that sing, mime and engage with train travellers through the inner city network of trains," the event page reads.
"We have some climate action themed songs to sing and words to share around and invite others to join in as we shake up the train carriages with climate action fun."

The NSW Police said they are aware of the groups plans to disrupt train services and urged members to consider the impact it would have on the public.

Picture: Peter Parks/AFP

What is Extinction Rebellion?

As the Extinction Rebellion continues its two weeks on international protests against climate change, a lot of people are wondering how this group came about.

The Extinction Rebellion describes itself as an international movement that uses "non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimise the risk of social collapse".

The group first made waves in 2018 when around 1500 protesters gathered on Parliament Square in London to announce a Declaration of Rebellion against the UK Government.

From there the group started engaging in more disruptive protests around the city by blocking major bridges and gluing themselves to the gates of Buckingham Palace.

As they made headlines more groups started emerging all over the world and carrying out their own protests.

The Extinction Rebellion have three main demands:

  1. For the government to tell the truth about climate change by declaring it an ecological emergency.
  2. They want the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2025.
  3. For the government to create a Citizens' Assembly on climate change and be led by the the group's decisions.

Boris Johnson blasts activists

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has blasted Extinction Rebellion protesters, as members hold demonstrations across the world.

At a book launch in London for a biography on Margaret Thatcher, Johnson labelled the protesters as "uncooperative crusties" and said they should stop blocking the streets with their "hemp-smelling bivouacs".

"I am afraid that the security people didn't want me to come along tonight because they said the road was full of uncooperative crusties and protesters of all kinds littering the road," he said.

"They said there was some risk that I would be egged."

Johnson also added that the protesters could learn something from former prime minister Thatcher, saying she took climate issues seriously long before Greta Thunberg.

“I hope that when we go out from this place tonight and we are waylaid by importunate nose-ringed climate change protesters we remind them that [she was also right about greenhouse gases," he said.

“And she took it seriously long before Greta Thunberg. And the best thing possible for the education of the denizens of the heaving hemp-smelling bivouacs that now litter Trafalgar Square and Hyde Park, the best thing would be for them to stop blocking the traffic and buy a copy of Charles’s magnificent book so that they can learn about a true feminist, green and revolutionary who changed the world for the better.”

Protesters planning to target Sydney trains

NSW Police have urged activists to think about others when carrying out their protests, with at least six more arrests made in Sydney this morning.

Yesterday 38 protesters were arrested in the Sydney CBD after they broke the law and ignored repeated warnings from police, Assistant Police Commissioner, Mick Willing, said in a statement.

"We support the rights of individuals and groups to protest. However, yesterday despite repeated warnings from police, some members of the Extinction Rebellion chose to break the law and chose to cause as much disruption as they possibly could and as a result we saw police take the action they did," he said.

"This morning we have seen six more protesters arrested who put themselves at risk."

Assistant Commissioner Willing confirmed police were aware of multiple protests planned across the city this week, including one that may impact the rail network tomorrow.

"I ask organisers to ensure people to do not break the law and allow the wider community to go about their day to day business with minimal disruption," he said.

Bridge protester arrested

The climate change protester who suspended himself under Story Bridge in Brisbane this morning has moved from his spot after claiming he was ready to stay there "for days".

Paul Jukes briefly shut down a lane of traffic this morning after he rigged a hammock underneath the bridge and said he wouldn't move until Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk declares a climate emergency.

But just six hours after starting his protest, Jukes climbed into a gantry below the bridge and met with police.

He has now been taken into custody.

Armytage clashes with climate protester

Sam Armytage has clashed with an Extinction Rebellion spokesperson during an interview on Sunrise this morning.

Speaking with activist Miriam Robinson, Armytage questioned her about the disruptive nature of the protests being held across the country.

"Your organisation claims to be devoted to disruptive, non-violent disobedience. We have seen the opposite of that, 30 people arrested yesterday, now threats to shut down Brisbane airport with drones. What do you say to people who are just trying to go about their daily business in these major cities," she said.

Ms Robinson said that while they "apologise for the inconvenience" this is the only way they can get their message across.

"We don't like having to do these things but sadly it's this sort of action that we need to do to bring attention to the climate emergency," she said.

"You probably wouldn't be interviewing us unless we had caused this level of disruption. So unfortunately these are the measures we are driven to to get the message out about the climate emergency."

Armytage hit back, suggesting that causing this much disruption was actually doing harm to their cause.

"Do you think you are doing harm to your message. So you deliberately want to annoy people so you appear on national television? What is your message, what are you trying to do?"

Ms Robinson said one of their main goals was getting the government to tell people how serious the climate emergency is.

"A lot of people do get annoyed by what we do but you'd be surprised by how many people are supportive of us," she said.

"A lot of people say 'thank goodness someone is finally doing something about this'."

'Go Greta, go!'

The Sydney crowd have chanted in support of Swedish activist teen Greta Thunberg.

Aboriginal Aunty Shirl said she had a grandchild with autism and praised Greta, who has Aspergers, for "owning" her disability.

“You were a brave young girl, you owned your disability and you owned your truth,” she said.

Aunty Shirl then rallied the crowd to chant, “go Greta, go”.

An organiser said they were feeling all the Greta feels.

“It is grief, it is heavy, it is human,” she said.

“It is because of our live that we grieve. We are facing an existential dilemma.”

Protester handing out 'sorry honey'

If you got stuck in Sydney this morning, we hope you at least got some honey for your troubles.

“We understand today we are disrupting the city and we apologise for that,” said beekeeper Paul Hoskinson who was handing out “sorry honey”.

“As a way of apologising for the disruption we’ve created sorry honey."

“We want to deliver our message to Sydney and the rest of the world non-violently.”

Me Hoskinson travelled four hours from Wingham on the NSW Mid North Coast to take part in the protests.

“Living in a regional area in NSW we’re in severe drought and I’m really worried,” he said.

The group has now gathered to continue its chanting outside Town Hall.

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/climate-change/extinction-rebellion-protests-erupt-across-australia-with-disruptive-action-planned-in-most-cities/live-coverage/0dbffa0541cdc6d258afaea94be124ab