A climate guard locked his steering wheel with a bike lock while blocking the Sydney Harbor Tunnel, leaving workers stuck bumper-to-bumper in their vehicles.
More than 100 blockade Australia protesters stormed the city at 8 a.m. on Monday, with police vowing to create a week of misery for commuters by disrupting traffic, with barricades fencing trying to stop the protest Of.
A woman from the group’s Lismore contingent proudly posted footage online of her steering wheel chained to the neck while her white hatchback blocked traffic from entering the Harbor Tunnel.
The tunnel is one of the major routes carrying passengers from the city’s port, and is used by up to 2,000 cars every hour.
‘I’m a gardener, I’m 22 years old. I’ [here] In protest against the climate destruction that is happening on the continent right now,’ she says.
‘There are some really angry people who are yelling and threatening me – banging on windows and doors.’
The protester, Mel, 22, (pictured) blocked the Sydney Harbor Tunnel and locked himself on his steering wheel with a bike lock before proudly posting the footage online.
The woman’s white hatchback was parked sideways in two lanes of traffic – causing panic for the thousands of people using the tunnel every hour.
During the video, an agitated passenger can be seen approaching his car and shouting at him from the window.
Guess what the f**k? You’re going to jail!’ he shouts.
‘They’re going to love you there!’
The police eventually reached the spot and demanded to get out of the car before arresting him.
It comes like this:
- Hundreds of protesters stormed the city, throwing debris and even wheelbarrows in an attempt to slow down police officers.
- NSW Premier Dominic Perrott calls protesters ‘bloody idiots’ in a scathing statement
- TV visions show an SUV driving people standing in the middle of the road out of the way. It was not immediately clear whether they were demonstrators.
All traffic was diverted from the Harbor Bridge and traffic was backed up for several kilometres.
The Transport Management Center said at 9:12 am that the tunnel was reopened after the car was removed.
In a statement, the radical group said their week-long protest activities had begun “with Sydney’s mobilization to protest climate destruction”.
Police officers surrounded the white hatchback as traffic was blocked for several kilometers
The woman was eventually arrested by several officers and the tunnel reopened around 9 a.m.
A police officer is seen in a standoff with a protester as the worker attempts to clear a barricade
A man raised a barricade fence and fled when traffic was disrupted due to protests in the CBD on Monday
A spokesman for the group said, “Sydney is where Australia’s operation began, and for more than two centuries, it has been where Australia’s destruction of the continent has been most intense.”
‘Australia’s institutions are the concentrations of coercive power that enable this exploitation. Our collective existence rests on the use of strategic direct action to stand up against this project of organized protest and destruction.
‘Blockade Australia will continue to cause disruption and protest climate destruction in the days to come.’
Meanwhile, furious Australians have criticized the group for disrupting society with ‘dangerous’ antics.
One person tweeted, ‘These blockade idiots need to think better.
‘Although many people support climate change, much of Australia is against these idiots. Those who block traffic and transport want to put life in danger, then ban their public welfare.’
Another said, ‘I’m sorry, but #BlockadeAustralia 10yrs too late and discrediting climate change activism.
Another person pointed out that the protests meant people were spending more time in their cars with heaters using petrol due to road blockage, which ironically was bad for the environment.
The fourth wrote, ‘It is okay and good to protest but it is only selfish to harass the wider community.
Hundreds descended on the center of Sydney, holding signs and chanting they called for action on climate change
Protesters block traffic as a car outside the Sydney Harbor Tunnel
As commuters started to drive into town for work, crowds of protesters descended on Elizabeth Street before marching around Hyde Park towards the NSW Parliament.
The crowd was forced to disperse when police blocked access to the Harbor Bridge at the intersection of George and Bridge Streets.
Blockade Australia said it would hold a press conference at Redfern Park at 2.30 pm.
The group had planned to ‘walk or disperse’ through the city in a message sent via an app on Sunday night, with leaders giving legal advice to members ahead of the protest.
Organizers also gave instructions on how activists can wreak havoc on traffic in the CBD.
“It won’t be like a regular rally with speeches and a lot of standing time – we’ll meet at 8 a.m. and then fast forward from there,” reads the memo.
A police officer picks up abandoned milk crates on the road as demonstrators were seen throwing cans and objects in the way of police to slow them down
Climate activist group Blockade Australia is set to launch a week of mass demonstrations from Monday
‘Depending on police tactics you may need to run or disperse depending on your abilities. Be prepared to walk on the roads and prevent cars from passing by.
Protesters were urged to keep their phone notifications turned off and ensure devices are password protected.
The advisory also asked protesters to simply say ‘no comment’ when arrested and warned against wearing ‘contact lenses, makeup or oily sunscreen’ to minimize injury from pepper spraying.
The event was promoted for weeks on the group’s online channels, with participants offering workshops for ‘legal’, ‘road welfare’ and ‘medical’ training.
Legal advice was given to the protesters in a message distributed through a messaging app on Sunday night.
Police seized concrete barrels and locks from the protest group’s Colo campground on June 19
In marketing materials for the 27 June–2 July rally, the group stated that they intended to converge in Sydney to ‘block roads and cause disruption to Australia’s most important political and economic centre’, which was not overlooked. May go’.
The protests came just days after police raided their Blue Mountains compound on June 19 amid an investigation into ‘unauthorized protest activity’.
The blockade Australia has made headlines in recent months over a series of high-profile climate protests, including blocking coal ports, bridges and fossil fuel terminals.
In April, the NSW Parliament introduced new laws and penalties aimed at discouraging protesters who block traffic on bridges and tunnels in response to the group’s stunts.
Protesters face up to two years in prison and a $22,000 fine for obstructing traffic or blocking access to roads.
The law also created new offenses targeting people who block access to key facilities such as ports and railways.