Extinction Rebellion protesters block woman from getting to dead mum’s home

A woman broke down in tears as rowdy climate change protesters barred her from reaching the home of her mum who passed away on Sunday.

A woman has broken down in tears as rowdy climate change protesters barred her from reaching the home of her mum who passed away on Sunday.

The Melbourne woman, named as Sally, was approached by A Current Affair as she sat in her car on Tuesday, unable to pass through the Extinction Rebellion crowd.

“Dad passed away 10 months ago and Mum passed away on Sunday at home in that building,” she said, fighting back tears.

“I’m supposed to be there having hospital beds picked up, mats picked up, lifting machines picked up. I heard that these d**kheads were here yesterday so I rescheduled it, and I’ve come along this morning (and) they’re here again.”

She added that she could try do a loop and park further away and walk but leaving her house that morning she fell and dislocated her knee. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” she said.

“I just want to get to the home so I can start organising all the clean-up, medicines and drugs that are there from the palliative care and the hospital bed that Mum died in, and I’m sitting here. D**kheads, I don’t even know what they’re on about, what’s it for?”

Reporter Reid Butler told Sally it was “for the environment” and “civil disobedience” was the tactic.

A Current Affair reporter interviews climate protesters.

Disruptions are set to continue in major cities today.

Melbourne woman Sally was prevented from reaching her mother’s home.

“F***ing environment. People are more important,” she said. “They think it’s so important but what is important is the everyday, good Australian people just trying to go about their everyday lives. It’s not fair.”

Sally added, “I brought one of my dogs because I didn’t want to come to the house alone as it is and now I just can’t even get to the house. It’s just disgusting.”

The A Current Affair crew spoke to some of the protesters and explained Sally’s situation, asking if they would let her pass.

She started to slowly drive through the crowd, but a lone protester jumped in front of her car before others quickly intervened. As she drove past, Sally leaned out the window and called the woman a “b**ch” as the protester said “sorry”.

The program also interviewed an elderly man who had been prevented from getting to hospital. “What a joke, won’t let people go around their own business,” he said. “I’ve got an appointment for cancer at St Vincents, I’ve got to walk and I’m not allowed to go up there. They won’t let me go. What a joke.”

Her mum died on Sunday and she was trying to clean out her belongings.

She starts to drive through the crowd.

But a lone protester jumps in front of her car.

‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says climate change activists causing disruption to cities should be jailed.

Her comments come as protesters from the global group prepared for a third day of disruption in major cities as part of a so-called “Spring Rebellion” demanding action on climate change.

In Melbourne, at least 100 activists are expected to camp each night in Carlton Gardens. Protesters on bikes will block a number of intersections along Gertrude, Hoddle and Johnston streets in Carlton this morning.

At 3pm, “swarming teams” will meet at Bowen Lane for briefings “before heading into the city to disrupt business as usual”, and from 5pm protesters plan a “disco disruption” in the CBD.

In Sydney, protesters aimed to disrupt trains this morning with flash mobs through numerous carriages to talk to commuters about climate change.

Protesters are planning to meet at Belmore Park outside Central Station at 9am. At 1.30pm, more protesters will meet back at Belmore Park ahead of a “take back the streets” rally.

NSW Police urged the group to not disrupt travellers and commuters.

“The rail network is an integral part of the integrity of the city, so I would ask that protesters not disrupt people going about their day-to-day rail travel and to ensure that they are safe,” Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said.

An Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman said the group’s actions would not be disruptive but instead would involve activists simply boarding trains and speaking to commuters about climate issues.

Extinction Rebellion protesters at Central Station in Sydney. Picture: Damian Shaw

The protesters started at Belmore Park before moving into the station.

Protesters yell as some are arrested by police on Monday. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

In Brisbane, protesters are planning a “water birth for a better earth” event at Southbank River Quay, while “swarming flash mobs” will roam Queens Gardens through the week.

In Adelaide, protesters will disrupt traffic and plan to hold a “block party” on Friday night.

On Tuesday night, Ms Palaszczuk said “enough is enough” and that she wanted protesters sent to prison.

“Someone is going to get hurt,” Ms Palaszczuk told The Courier-Mail. “Most people do the right thing, it’s just this group who need to be brought under control.”

She vowed to fast-track proposed laws to jail protesters for up to two years if they use “dangerous devices” such as drums with concrete and locks. The laws will also give Queensland Police increased powers to search people for such devices.

“I say to protesters, ‘What if it was your mother or grandmother that was held up from getting to hospital because of your actions, blocking streets?’,” she said. “It’s time to get these laws passed. We will bypass the normal submissions period and get them promulgated within days.”

On Tuesday, 10 Extinction Rebellion protesters — including Paul Jukes, who suspended himself in a hammock from Brisbane’s Story Bridge — were arrested and charged after blocking roads, chaining themselves to fences and attaching themselves to devices such as drums filled with cement.

There were 56 arrests in Melbourne on Tuesday, according to the group, and more than 40 people have been arrested in Sydney so far.

— with AAP