Australian climate activists have been criminally charged after staging coordinated protests across the country on Monday morning, which included blocking major roadways by suspending themselves from tall poles in response to "Australia's destruction of the global climate."
According to NCA News, protests erupted at the Port of Newcastle, the Port of Brisbane, and the Port of Melbourne on Monday morning following a coordinated effort from members of the climate justice group, Blockade Australia.
Individuals live-streamed the protest on Facebook as they climbed atop tall poles and suspended themselves with ties for multiple hours above traffic, which resulted in significant delays and congestion, the outlet reports.
Law enforcement officers were forced to use cherry pickers to extract the climate activists that were unwilling to climb down from the poles on their own.
Queensland police arrested a 23-year-old woman who strung herself to a pole and blocked traffic on Export and Pritchard Streets at around 8 a.m. She was charged with one count each of unregulated high-risk activities, trespassing, committing public nuisance, pedestrian causing an obstruction, contravening direction and using dangerous attachment devices to interfere with transport, according to the outlet.
The protester, who Blockade Australia referred to as "Jem," took to social media to live-stream the protest as she suspended from the pole and explained, "I’m doing this because this system of exploitation of endless expansion is not sustainable, it’s driving the climate collapse."
She is set to appear at Wynnum Magistrates Court on July 24.
Another activist in a separate protest location was arrested by Newcastle City police after she had suspended herself above the rail line on Wagtail Way Kooragang.
According to the outlet, police arrested a 22-year-old woman on charges of obstruction to a railway locomotive and entering inclosed lands, giving rise to a serious safety risk. She was denied bail and will appear at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday.
Suspended at the Port of Melbourne was 50-year-old Brad Homewood, who said on video during a live stream that he was protesting against Australia's institutions, which he says are "core part of the problem," NCA News reports.
"This system is doing exactly what it was set up to do, extract and exploit with a callous disregard for all forms of life," he said. "You can’t solve a problem with the same thinking that created it, we can’t vote our way out of this mess. The system cannot fix the system."
Homewood, who was removed from the pole by Victoria police via cherry picker around 10 am, concluded his live stream with a comment that he is looking forward to a "whole block of vegan chocolate" as a reward for his efforts, according to the outlet.
Victoria police did not specify if Homewood was arrested or charged.
