Seven Brisbane CBD climate change protesters arrested
Seven climate change protesters have been arrested in Brisbane after blockades on Monday morning but the activist group still plans to disrupt traffic again within days.
The group from Extinction Rebellion, responsible for a previous protest on the Victoria Bridge and last week's intersection blockades, stopped traffic at one intersection and tried the same at another in Monday's demonstration.
About 25 activists were involved in the protest, which started about 7.45am, and there were almost as many police watching from the street or from marked vehicles.
Despite threatening to blockade CBD intersections every morning Monday to Friday this week, the activists will stop traffic in Brisbane only once more this week - Wednesday.
The protest action began at the intersection of George and Margaret streets on Monday.
The climate change activists continue to show their anger at the state government's decision to approve key parts of the central Queensland Adani Carmichael mine last month.
"The aim was to be there for 10 minutes and then move on; in that time, police moved in," Extinction Rebellion SEQ spokeswoman Clancey Maher said.
"Our aim, really, is to cause enough disruption to reach our demands, which is climate action, and we will continue to do that in various ways until our demands are met because it’s really important.
"We’ve actually had a mixed reaction. Some drivers were stressed because they were late for work and some were really supportive and gave us fist pumps."
Following the first blockade, police arrested four people for disobeying police directions.
The protesters regrouped and walked to the junction of George and Turbot streets.
As they walked out onto the intersection and began to unfurl their banners, police followed closely and moved them off the road within two minutes.
At least three more activists were arrested at the scene of the second protest.
"The police are definitely ramping up the pressure, we have seen higher numbers here this week, but as the police ramp up, we’re only going to see more and more protests like this," Ms Maher said.
"What I’ve noticed today is that when people see people get arrested, they actually get pretty inspired and it polarises the issue for people.
"You think about the things you are fighting for, like a safe future for you and your kids."
Police have cautioned drivers against abusing or attacking protesters after frustrated motorists produced a chorus of car honks and hurled abuse at the banner-bearers last Thursday.
The Galilee Basin mine re-emerged as a hot political issue throughout the federal election campaign. Some blamed Labor's at-times ambivalent stance on the mine for its poor electoral showing in Queensland, before Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk sped up the approval process.
The activists were building towards "rebellion day" on August 6, when hundreds were set to disrupt the city.
Similar intersection blockades were expected from 7.30-10am on Wednesday.