Rolling Extinction Rebellion protests disrupt Melbourne CBD
Radical environmentalists are in the middle of rolling disruptive protests to draw attention to what they see as an extinction threat.
Radical environmentalists have blocked traffic in a big city CBD as part of a rolling protest action designed to draw attention to what they see as an existential threat to humanity.
Extinction Rebellion protesters, who believe the world is burning up under climate change, marched in Melbourne’s CBD on Thursday morning under police guard, calling for an end to fossil fuel consumption and more radical action on scaling back the world’s industry.
The protest disrupted peak-hour traffic at 8am on Exhibition Rd before the police moved the protesters back onto a footpath.
The police threatened to arrest protesters if they did not comply with the order to move off the street.
The Extinction Rebellion tactic to block traffic and grind cities to a halt has been deployed in cities across the world, including London, where the group has organised mass sit-downs on bridges and streets.
“It doesn’t feel nice to do it,” one protester told Sky News.
“But the reason we are doing it is because it has been 30-plus years of no action.”
Thursday’s march forms part of a rolling protest from the group, what they have termed a “December Rebellion” from December 5 to December 10.
“Climate breakdown has begun,” the group states.
“We are in the climate endgame. We need the courage to resist and the determination to create a better world.
“We need disruption to end the destruction.”
From Wednesday to Friday, the group says it plans “a variety of actions in the CBD and beyond” and “disruptive actions to suit different levels of risk”.
Saturday will feature “a Mothers’ Rebellion, a huge Slow March and a spectacular display of peaceful people power as we take to the streets for a strong show of nonviolent civil disobedience,” the group adds.
On Sunday, the group says it will “debrief, regenerate and plan the next steps”.
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