Climate change warriors blocking roads should be INVOICED for chaos

Protesting climate change warriors should be INVOICED for the chaos they’re causing businesses and Australians trying to get to work, Peter Dutton says

  • Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Friday resumed his attack on activists
  • Mr Dutton labelled Extinction Rebellion protestors as ‘radicals’ and ‘outliers’ 
  • He added they should be invoiced for the cost of the nation’s police response 
  • ‘When you’re acting outside of the law I think there should be a price,’ he said

Climate change protesters who’ve disrupted major capital cities this week should be invoiced for the cost of the police response, the federal government has said.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Friday resumed his attack on activists protesting under the Extinction Rebellion banner, branding them ‘radicals’ and ‘outliers’.

Mr Dutton said while peaceful protests were conducted all over the country, this week’s demonstrations did not satisfy that criteria.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Friday resumed his attack on activists protesting under the Extinction Rebellion banner (pictured activists from Extinction Rebellion seen attached to a catamaran in the the middle of the Brisbane CBD on Thursday)

Mr Dutton said on Friday morning (pictured) while peaceful protests were conducted all over the country, this week’s demonstrations did not satisfy that criteria

‘I think very strongly we should be charging people the cost of the police response,’ he said on the Today show.

‘If you’re conducting yourself in a peaceful way – like organisations that have a permit from the police and have an agreed route – that’s completely acceptable.

‘But when you’re acting outside of the law and diverting police resources then I think there should be a price to pay.’ 

Climate change protesters who’ve disrupted major capital cities this week are thumbing their noses at working people, the federal government has said 

It comes after employment minister Michaelia Cash told 2GB protestors could be stripped of their welfare payments if they could be attending a job interview instead.

‘If they’re on welfare and they’re choosing to protest, as opposed to attending a job interview, the answer is yes the system can identify them,’ she said.

Extinction Rebellion has been leading a week-long series of protests in major cities to raise awareness about climate change as part of a campaign to force Australian governments to declare a ‘climate emergency’. 

‘They do their cause more harm than good,’ Mr Dutton added.

‘They are, frankly, just thumbing their nose at Australians who want to work, run their businesses, [and] don’t want to be disrupted by these people.’ 

Activists from Extinction Rebellion attached to a catamaran in the the middle of the Brisbane CBD

Some of their activities, which has included locking themselves to concrete objects and fences and glueing themselves to roads, have been criticised for disrupting commuters and businesses and for taking up police time.

Mr Dutton again raised the prospect of charging protesters acting without permits for the cost of the police response.

‘When you are acting outside of the law, which these people are doing, you are diverting valuable police resources. I think there should be a price to pay for that,’ he said.

 

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