
– With AAP.
1. Four 16-year-old girls were among 30 climate change protesters arrested in Sydney.
Four teenage girls and dozens of other protesters demanding government action on climate change have been arrested in Sydney’s CBD.
The Extinction Rebellion protesters were arrested and bundled into a mobile “custody unit” on Monday afternoon after they allegedly failed to move on when asked to do so by police.
Police say 30 people were arrested. Organisers say four girls aged under 16 were among them.
Here is some of the coverage of the protest. Post continues after video.
“Alleged offences committed range from obstructing traffic to disobeying reasonable direction,” NSW Police said in a statement.
Assistant Commissioner Mick Willing said police respected the right of groups to protest but “we have a responsibility to the community and local businesses to ensure they can go about their normal activities without being impacted on or put at risk”.
“Unfortunately, despite the warnings issued by local police and our colleagues from across the country, this group continue to set out to break the law and put themselves and others at risk,” Mr Willing said in a statement.
Hundreds of people marched from Belmore Park along Pitt Street before several protesters locked themselves in a fake water tank on Broadway.
Sisters Luka, 10, and 12-year-old Maddie Brett-Hall alongside Ember Henninger, also 10, from the Blue Mountains were angry at being told by the government to “just be kids” but who felt their voices weren’t being heard.
Extinction Rebellion media spokesman David Kohn, who was among those arrested, said climate action needed to be taken worldwide.
“We’re demanding the government declare a climate emergency,” the 28-year-old said.
“We want them to take climate action now; we want zero emissions by 2025 and we want citizens’ assemblies to guide that transition.”
Top Comments
It’s wonderful that we live in a society that allows peaceful protests as long as they don’t cause undue disruption to innocent people. Unlike China, which has officially banned all climate protests full stop. That’s China, who produces more CO2 than the US and Europe combined and is leading the growth in emissions. That’s China, China. You do stories about climate activism from all over the world except for the biggest polluter of them all, China.
When are you doing a story on China?