Climate change activists in canoe block Brisbane\'s Victoria Bridge

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Climate change activists in canoe block Brisbane's Victoria Bridge

Four climate change activists in a canoe blocked traffic in the heart of Brisbane during the Thursday morning peak-hour and forced a major emergency services response.

The protest began about 7.30am when four activists in their canoe positioned themselves in the middle of the Victoria Bridge.

They blocked the northbound and southbound traffic lanes, but not the bus lanes in and out of the Cultural Centre Bus Station, for about 20 minutes.

Police said drivers were threatening to attack the protesters, so officers moved their canoe off the Victoria Bridge and onto Stanley Street to defuse the situation and get traffic moving again.

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Climate change action group Extinction Rebellion SEQ were responsible for the peak-hour protest.

Extinction Rebellion SEQ spokesman Daniel Heggie said the four activists were attached to the canoe with elbow locks and it would require grinders to cut them free.

"None of us get any joy from frustrating people on their way to work ... our goal is to make our leaders show leadership on the existential threat ... climate catastrophe," he said.

The protesters chose a canoe to represent those people who live on islands and fear they may one day have to leave their homes because of rising sea levels.

Several police vehicles, paramedics and the fire service's technical rescue team responded.

About 8.30am, police officers dragged the canoe, with protesters still inside, off the side of Stanley Street and onto the footpath.

Firefighters began cutting the activists free with grinders about 30 minutes later.

The activists eventually released themselves just before 10am, after initial cutting from firefighters, and they were taken to the Brisbane Watchhouse.

No charges have been laid as yet.

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