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Climate activists blocked three lanes of traffic on one of Melbourne’s busiest highways, causing a commute nightmare.
Members of Extinction Rebellion abruptly brought rush hour traffic to a standstill with a truck blockade on the West Gate Bridge on Tuesday morning.
Activists climbed onto the roof of Budget’s rented truck to launch flares and held banners declaring that “climate collapse has begun” and “declaring a climate emergency.”
The disruption has created significant delays for travelers heading into the city with only two lanes open.
Climate activists have stopped traffic on Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge, causing long delays.
Delays have occurred again at Hoppers Crossing on the Princes Freeway and at the Deer Park Bypass on the M80 Ring Road.
Motorists are urged to consider using Geelong Road or Ballarat Road as alternative routes.
An exit lane has also been blocked.
‘The right lane is closed at Todd Road, due to a police incident. Three lanes remain open. Please merge safely and be aware of people near the road,” a VicTraffic alert states.
Police were forced to use cranes to remove protesters from the bridge during the ongoing incident.
“Long live the rebellion, join us, be on the right side of history,” shouted a protester standing on top of the truck.
“Follow your heart, get on board, give the government a shake… the sooner we can address this crisis, then we won’t have to do these uncomfortable, horrible protests,” he said.
An Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman said the protest came ahead of a planned period of disruptive action calling on federal and state governments to declare a climate emergency.
Protesters climbed onto a truck that was blocking three lanes of traffic in the city.
The protest coincided with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Melbourne.
“Australia must show leadership at the ASEAN summit by declaring a climate and ecological emergency and calling on other ASEAN leaders to do the same,” the group posted online.
“The summit is working to accelerate the transition to renewable energy, but the proposed measures are not even close to the speed and scale required.”
Among the participants is Violet CoCo, 33, who was previously sentenced for similar protests on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
“The government must choose which side of history it will be on,” he said in a statement released by Extinction Rebellion.
‘Australia is the world’s third largest exporter of fossil fuels and therefore one of the largest contributors to the global death project that is already killing people through floods, fires, droughts and famines, particularly in low-income countries. like those of the South. East Asia.’
Police have since removed the climate activists (pictured) who were on top of the truck blocking traffic.