Blockade Australia: Chaos as climate protesters blocks the Sydney Harbour Tunnel

A climate protester has sparked commuter chaos after locking herself to her steering wheel with a bike lock while blocking the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, leaving workers trapped bumper-to-bumper in their vehicles. 

Hundreds of Blockade Australia demonstrators stormed the city about 8am on Monday, disrupting traffic as cops frantically tried to stop the parade with barricade fences. 

A woman from the group’s Lismore contingent posted footage online of herself chained to her steering wheel while her white hatchback blocked traffic from entering the Harbour Tunnel. 

‘I’m Marley, I’m 22. I’m [here] in protest of the climate destruction that is happening in this continent right now,’ she says.

‘There are some really angry people who are screaming and threatening me – banging on windows and doors.’

An outraged commuter can be seen during the video approaching her car and yelling at her through a window.

Police eventually arrived at the scene and demanded her to get out of the car, before she was arrested.

It comes as  

• Hundreds of protesters raged through the city, hurling debris and even wheelie bins at police officers in a bid to slow them down
• NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet described the demonstrators as ‘bloody idiots’ in a scathing statement 
• TV vision appeared to show an SUV nudging people standing in the middle of the road out of the way. It wasn’t immediately clear if they were protesters 

The group had made plans to ‘run or disperse’ through the city in a message sent out via an app on Sunday night, with leaders distributing legal advice to members ahead of the protest.

The environmental group also gave instructions for how activists can wreak havoc on traffic in the CBD. 

‘This won’t be like a regular rally with speeches and a lot of time standing around – we will be meeting at 8am sharp and then moving quickly from there,’ the memo read.

‘Depending on police tactics you may be required to run or disperse depending on your abilities. Be prepared to walk on roads and stop cars from passing.’

Protesters were urged to keep their phone notifications turned off and ensure devices were password protected.

The advice also told demonstrators to only say ‘no comment’  if arrested and warned against wearing ‘contact lenses, makeup or oily sunscreen’ to reduce injury if pepper sprayed. 

The event had been publicised over the group’s online channels for weeks, with participants offered workshops for ‘legal’, ‘street welfare’, and ‘medic’ training.  

In marketing material for the June 27- July 2 rally, the group said they intend to converge’ on Sydney to ‘blockade the streets of Australia’s most important political and economic centre and cause disruption that cannot be ignored’.

The protest comes just days after police raided their Blue Mountains compound on June 19 amid an investigation into ‘unauthorised protest activity’.

Blockade Australia has made headlines in recent months over a series of high-profile climate protests which have included blocking coal ports, bridges, and fossil fuel terminals. 

In April, the NSW parliament ushered in a raft of new laws and penalties aimed at discouraging protesters who disrupt traffic on bridges and tunnels in response to the group’s stunts.