Dismal turnout as protesters marched in Sydney for second straight day
Wild images have captured the moment a female protester was shoved to the ground by police officers in a second day of disruption in Sydney.
Wild images have captured the moment a female protester was shoved to the ground by police officers in a second day of disruption in Sydney.
Footage from the protest today shows the activist holding a large banner which was ripped out of her hands by one officer, before another aggressively pushes her over, sending her crashing onto the pavement.
Other protesters were also knocked around by police as they ran through the streets towards Hyde Park on Tuesday morning.
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There was disruption in Sydney this morning as the group of activists who brought the city to a halt yesterday marched through the city.
However, it did not get off to a flying start for the activists on Tuesday with a dismal number of protesters turning up — and dispersing after only an hour.
Only 16 protesters had gathered in Hyde Park by 8am. At the same time yesterday there was chaos as a large crowd marched through the CBD.
The crowd grew quite quickly and began marching through the CBD shortly after — but the disruption was nowhere near the levels seen on Monday.
Police cracked down quickly on the march and the group ultimately dispersed in Hyde Park.
NSW Police said a number of protesters have been arrested by officers attached to Strike Force Guard and have been taken to Surry Hills Police Station, where charges are anticipated.
“The incident has been resolved, and the site is now cleared,” police said in a statement.
Blockade Australia says it will continue its week of disruption, issuing a statement overnight saying its action was in “direct response to Australia’s continued blocking of climate action and the escalating repression against nonviolent protesters on this continent”.
They have been told they face fines of up to $22,000 by an irate NSW deputy premier Paul Toole who blasted the demonstrators.
“These are not placard holders. They are professional pests,” the NSW deputy premier told Today this morning. “I’m hoping yesterday that these protesters would have got the message that our police will continue to be out there in force.
“These people say that they are out there trying to actually protect the climate, but yesterday what they were doing was littering all over Sydney.
We need YOU, tomorrow on the streets of so-called standing to take meaningful #climateaction and stand in the way of this system. #blockadeaustralia
— Blockade Australia (@BlockadeAus) June 27, 2022
Join the telegram - https://t.co/ykdcg8sZqkpic.twitter.com/lpht5EmrZF
He said that of the 10 people arrested yesterday, six were from out of state.
“We’ve actually seen now where people can get fines of up to $22,000,” he said. “They can get up to two years imprisonment. If you want to engage in this kind of activity, then expect the book to be thrown at you.”
Despite the warning, protesters marched around the CBD on Tuesday morning but with far less fanfare than Monday.
On Monday, there was chaos on the city’s roads as an army of protesters took to the streets of the CBD in an unauthorised demonstration.
Organisers say they hope today will be even bigger.
“The more of us on the streets, the stronger the movement,” it said.
The group also issued a statement from the 22-year-old woman, Mali, who locked herself to her car blocking the Harbour Tunnel in North Sydney on Monday.
“The Australian colony started here. It’s where violence landed on this continent and where the destruction of Country began,” she said.
“Since then, Sydney has developed into the political and economic capital of Australia. It makes perfect sense to start at the guts of this system and disrupt its most important points.”
Jesus Christ: car rams people as it drives through Blockade Australia protest pic.twitter.com/kntTsenJdi
— cammyboo AO (@cameronwilson) June 27, 2022
On Monday, demonstrations began around 8am at Hyde Park, where police allege about 60 protesters joined protest activity across the city’s streets.
Eleven people were arrested, the majority taken to Surry Hills and Day Street police stations, where charges are expected.
Protesters threw concrete blocks, garbage bins, bikes and ladders onto the city streets in an effort to disrupt traffic and delay police officers trying to put a stop to the protest.
“The behaviour of this group was nothing short of criminal activity,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan told reporters on Monday afternoon.
He described the protesters’ behaviour as “incredibly dangerous, unacceptable” and “violent”.
There have been no reports of injuries at this stage.
NSW Police trailed the parade of protesters on foot and via a convoy of vehicles with sirens wailing, cleaning up after the protesters in an attempt to clear roads.
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel was blocked after a protester parked a car across the road at the southbound entrance around 8am.
Blockade Australia has identified the protester as 22-year-old Mali*, who live streamed themself disrupting traffic at the tunnel with their head locked to their steering wheel with a bike lock.
A man can be heard approaching the car and angrily shouting profanities at the protester.
“To those people who are really angry right now, I understand, and it’s not a good thing to be experiencing. You know what? Climate change isn’t a good thing to be experiencing,” Mali said.
The 22-year-old Lismore resident was arrested and taken to North Sydney police station, where charges are anticipated.
Police have since removed the vehicle and all lanes of traffic have reopened.
“It’s been a pretty full-on year,” Mali said on the live stream.
“I was lucky, but I was in Lismore for both of the major floods.
“I’ve seen a lot of devastation, I’ve seen people that I love lose everything, I’ve seen places that I love be destroyed.”
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has weighed in on the protest action by writing into 2GB radio station.
“These people are bloody idiots, and they will face the full force of the law,” Mr Perrottet said.
Police have confirmed that protesters will be charged under new protest laws passed in April.
Protesters can be fined up to $22,000 and/or jailed for a maximum of two years for protesting illegally on public roads, rail lines, tunnels, bridges and industrial estates.
Police will continue to review CCTV and other video sources to identify and arrest those involved in the protest.
“There is a way to do it and way they did it today is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Assistant Commissioner Dunstan said.
“Expect a knock on your door. We will be coming to arrest you.”
Blockade Australia spokesman Sally-Anne* told reporters on Monday that she rejected claims that the protest was unauthorised.
“There's no need to get authorisation for a protest,” she said.
“It is terrifying to do nothing and it is also terrifying to act out but it's necessary.”
The protest action comes a week after police raided a camp in Colo Valley, north of Sydney, where about 40 climate activists were found preparing for the week-long disruption.
The climate action group has been vocal about the protests since March when they conducted a series of extreme stunts across the CBD to disrupt commuter traffic.
Police will continue to patrol major roads and highways leading into the CBD as well as previous protest locations, including Port Botany and railway stations, throughout the week.
Blockade Australia will hold a press conference at 2.30pm at Redfern Park.
*Blockade Australia uses only first names to identify activists.
— with NCA NewsWire’s Madeleine Achenza
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