The Project hosts have denigrated a climate activist for reportedly blocking rush-hour traffic and stranding hundreds of commuters on one of Sydney’s busiest routes.
Ten individuals were charged on Monday night after dozens of Blockade Australia protestors took to the streets early in the morning to disrupt commuters in Sydney’s central business district. Mali Cooper, 22, was one of those accused.
She recorded herself driving a car that blocked the Sydney Harbour Tunnel entrance, causing miles of traffic, while one irate motorist yelled abuse at her.
After spending the previous night in jail, Ms. Cooper appeared on The Project on Tuesday evening and expressed her gratitude for the chance to discuss climate problems.
‘I’m glad to be out and to have had a chance to see my family and to be here to have this conversation,’ Ms Cooper said.
She said that because of her “worry” over how the earth is being handled, she reportedly chained herself to a car’s steering wheel and blocked the entrance to the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, trapping Sydneysiders trying to get to work in their vehicles.
The action was criticized because people in labor or in need of ambulances may have become stuck in the traffic.
However, Ms. Cooper defended Blockade Australia’s conduct before the viewers of The Project.
‘There are people who are determined to extract vast numbers of resources from this planet,’ she said.
‘It’s typically less privileged people who experience the impact of climate change and climate devastation that is happening now.’
Host Kate Langbroek questioned whether the group’s tactics were the best way to win widespread support for action on climate change or whether they were damaging the cause.
‘What do you think that your disruption has to do with climate change? People find you to be extremely divisive,’ Langbroek said.
‘You talk about privilege but the ultimate privilege was probably you deciding whether people could get to work or not?’
Ms. Cooper asserted that she “had no regrets” and that she felt her actions had sparked a discussion about climate change.
‘There’s a bigger conversation that needs to happen about climate change and I think that not a lot of people get a chance to speak on national television about this really important situation that impacts all of us.’
‘I recognise my privilege in the world and I recognise that I’m privileged talking to you.’
‘It is so important that I am here and I am having this conversation and we open up a discussion about how we move forward and how we take steps to support our life systems, support one another and ensure that we take climate action.’
Host Waleed Aly then asked if Ms Cooper’s intention was to ’cause chaos, perhaps get arrested and then get on television to be able to talk about these issues’.
She replied that the disruption itself was the goal because that ‘has been proven time and again to have an effect that allows change to happen’.
‘We need radical change to save the planet’.
‘I don’t regret anything. I also don’t want to be in this position but I think it’s important in this critical time that we don’t stay silent and we speak up.’
Ms. Cooper was freed on Monday night after being detained by police, but she still has to pay fines of up to $22,000 because of new regulations put in place to stop disruptive and violent rallies.
Mali is charged with blocking the entrance to the congested tunnel with a white hatchback, causing miles-long backups of commuters.
She was challenged by an irate motorist while streaming a livestream of her purported protest, and police rescue squad members had to free her from the vehicle.
Six women and four men aged between 21 and 49 from three states were arrested and charged with a string of offences related to willfully preventing the free passage of a person or vehicle.
Police established Strike Force Guard vowing to maintain a highly visible presence in the CBD for the rest of the week after Blockade Australia warned of further disruptions.
‘It is unacceptable that a small number of people – who have little to no regard for everyday individuals going about their lives, are causing unnecessary disruptions to their morning commute,’ Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan said.
‘What these individuals are doing is both illegal and unsafe, putting the lives of themselves, the general public and our officers in danger by running on roadways and blocking roads by other means to disrupt traffic.’
Dozens of specialist officers were deployed to assist in the operation, including the Public Order and Riot Squad, Mounted Police, Rescue Squad, Dog Squad, Traffic and Highway Patrol and Transit Police.
Both sides of the NSW government condemned the protestors’ actions.
‘I would say this to the protesters: Go and get a real job,’ Deputy Premier Paul Toole said.
‘Go and talk to somebody who’s actually been delayed in getting to work today.’
Labor opposition leader Chris Minns added: ‘We may have had women waiting to get to emergency departments, birthing centres to give birth to children or [other] emergencies,’
Blockade Australia warned on its Facebook page on Monday night that resistance will continue every day this week.
Mali began to stream the protest when an angry driver walked up to her window and began to verbally abuse her with a string of swear words before storming off.
‘You’re f***ing everyone’s day up,’ he yells. ‘Get the f*** out of the way!’
An unfazed Mali continues to look at the camera before she responds: ‘To this man I would say I stand with you. It is for you, it is for your family that we do this.’
She allegedly staged the protest as dozens of Blockade Australia demonstrators marched through the streets kilometres away in the CBD, disrupting traffic and clashing with police.
A frustrated motorist was caught on camera squeezing their car through the mob, causing people to get out of the way as one protester pounded on the car’s bonnet as they were forced backward.
Then, while she allegedly protested on the opposite side of the city, Mali drank water out of a plastic water bottle while moaning about climate change in her stream.
‘The police are here,’ she said into the camera. ‘Not sure if you can see. Thank you everyone who has listened.
‘I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to hold this phone and hold this space. It’s a big day ahead.’
The tunnel is one of the major thoroughfares taking commuters across the city’s harbour, and is used by up to 2,000 cars every hour.
All traffic had been diverted via the Harbour Bridge and drivers were backed up for several kilometres.
The moment members of the radical Blockade Australia organization were nearly struck by an SUV while standing in a crossroads near Wynyard Park is recorded in amazing video that was shot in Sydney’s central business district.
One angry car sped right through the protest, despite protesters’ futile attempts to halt it and chase it across the street, nearly running them over.
Mali “put herself at risk, placed members of the public at risk, and placed rescuers at risk,” stated acting assistant commissioner Dunstan in response to the protester’s conduct.
‘The throwing of bicycles, the throwing of garbage bins, the throwing of other items in the path of police, in the path of media, in the path of innocent members of the public just walking by will not be tolerated and cannot be by the people of NSW.’