Cops forcibly remove Canadian from Brisbane

An activist who was recently in the White House has popped up in Australia and had a run in with police.

A Canadian anti-gender ideology activist recently invited to the White House was involved in a stand-off with police during an incident in Brisbane this week.

“Billboard Chris” – real name Chris Elston – has nearly 500,000 followers on X including the like of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

He was last month at the White House to witness Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order seeking to ban trans people from playing in women’s sport.

On Tuesday he turned up at Brisbane’s Queen St mall wearing a sandwich board reading “Children Cannot Consent to Puberty Blockers”.

Chris Elston – aka Billboard Chris – talks with authorities in Brisbane. Picture: X

On the other side of the board was a mock dictionary entry reading “dad … noun a human male who protects his kids from gender ideology”.

Footage shared to X appears to show his repeated refusal to leave the area despite being issued with an $800 fine and threatened with arrest by Queensland Police.

In the video a man wearing Brisbane City Council gear tells Mr Elston he was being fined for “obstructing or unreasonably disturb any person lawfully using the mall”.

“I have absolutely done no such thing, I was standing quietly,” Mr Elston said.

Chris Elston at the White House in February. Picture: X

"Billboard Chris" outside Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto's office.

At this point Mr Elston was interrupted by a punter who approached to tell him: “I just want to let you know you should get a f***ing job and, you know, move on with your life.”

The council officer then gave Mr Elston a direction under public land legislation: “I am now officially requesting you to stop what you are doing and leave the area for a period of 24 hours.

“Failure to do that now may involve the police.”

“All right, I am not obstructing anyone,” Mr Elston replied.

The footage shows him defending his actions. Picture: X

He was also told he was “free to continue your activity outside the mall area” but declined to move on.

Towards the end of a stand-off lasting several minutes, a police officer warned Mr Elston he risked being arrested: “I just need you to move outside the Queen St mall area … that’s for a period of six hours.

“Do you have any questions in relation to that move on direction?”

The activist replied: “I’m a man of integrity and truth and it is not true that I was obstructing anyone.

“And I don’t think in good conscience I can yield to this act of authoritarianism when it’s based on lies.

“And I’m not comfortable moving.”

Police told him he risked arrest if he did not move on. Picture: X

Asked if he was “going to comply” with the move on direction, he said “no”.

“I’m going to use reasonable force, whether I need to use hands on you or not we’re gonna walk down that way,” and officer said before he was led away.

A Queensland Police spokesperson confirmed officers were called to the mall about 1pm on Tuesday afternoon “to reports of a disturbance”.

“A 49-year-old man was issued a move on direction, and no further police action was taken,” they said.

“No further information is available.”

Brisbane City Council was contacted for comment.

Mr Elston was shown being led away. Picture: X

In sharing the footage on X, Mr Elston wrote he refused “to accept zealous abuse of power by those in authority, simply because I’m peacefully spreading a true message that vulnerable children are being maimed, sterilized, and turned into lifelong pharmaceutical patients.

“I opted not to violate my integrity, so they physically removed me. I believe they know what they’re doing is wrong, which is why they then opted not to formally arrest and charge me.”

Other clips he shared before the confrontation with authorities show one man asking for a photo with Mr Elston.

Elon Musk replies to Chris Elston. Picture: X

X owner Elon Musk replied to one of Mr Elston’s tweets about “being arrested for having conversations in Brisbane”.

“!! Are you OK?” the billionaire and adviser to President Trump wrote.

Mr Elston wrote in one X post he had “secured lawyers regarding the treatment of me today by Brisbane police and the bylaw officer”.

The Canadian is also involved in unrelated legal action with the Australia eSafety Commissioner.

The incident caught the eye of One Nation Senator Malcon Roberts who wrote on X: “The news that @BillboardChris has been forcibly removed/threatened with arrest for standing quietly to the side of Queen Street Mall, Brisbane is concerning,” he said.

He called on Premier David Crisafulli and Police Minister Dan Purdie to “immediately clarify the legal basis for these threats with a formal statement”.

Originally published as Cops forcibly remove Canadian from Brisbane