Car PLOUGHS through Blockade Australia climate pests in Sydney after Harbour Tunnel
A driver has ploughed through a pack of demonstrators who were blocking a key Sydney road, almost running them over. Extraordinary footage captured the chaotic moment the group of protesters were almost hit by an SUV while standing in the middle of an intersection on Monday. Traffic had come to a standstill in the middle of the city as members of the Blockade Australia activist group marched - one activist blocking the Sydney Harbour Tunnel with her hatchback and chaining herself to the steering wheel with a bike lock. And in another wild moment, one motorist drove straight through the demonstration - almost hitting two who were carrying a white banner. The activists appeared to try and stop the vehicle and chase it after it drove through the intersection. NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia that they were aware of the SUV driving through the protest and are 'conducting inquiries'. The city was gripped with chaos on Monday as dozens of demonstrators hit the streets after long warning of a week of action to raise awareness about global warming. Police frantically tried to stop the protest with barricades. The protest dispersed within an hour with 10 activists charged by police. A woman from the group's Lismore contingent proudly posted footage online of herself chained to her steering wheel by the neck while her white hatchback blocked traffic from entering the Harbour Tunnel. 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. 'I'm Mali, 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. 'Guess what f** wit? You're going to jail!' he screams. 'They are going to love you in there!' Police eventually arrived at the scene and demanded she get out of the car, before she was arrested. It comes as : All traffic had been diverted via the Harbour Bridge and traffic was backed up for several kilometres. The tunnel was reopened after the car was removed, the Transport Management Centre said at 9.12am. NSW Police said 10 people, including the woman taken into custody at the tunnel's entrance, had been arrested in the wake of the 'unauthorised protests'. The ten protesters who were arrested in the CBD were taken to Surry Hills and Day Street Police Stations, where charges are expected. In a statement, the radical group said their week-long protest activities had 'begun' with 'its Sydney mobilization to resist climate destruction'. 'Sydney is where Australia's operation began, and for more than two centuries, it has been where Australia's destruction of this continent has been most intense,' a spokesperson for the group said. 'The institutions of Australia are concentrations of coercive power that enable this exploitation. Our collective survival rests on organised opposition and the use of strategic direct action to stand against this project of destruction. 'Blockade Australia will continue to cause disruption and resist climate destruction in the days to come.' Meanwhile, furious Australians have flocked online to slam the group for interrupting society with 'dangerous' antics.' 'These Blockade idiots need to think better,' one person tweeted. 'Even though many support Climate Change, still most of Australia is against these fools. Ban their public welfare if the want to put lives in danger blocking traffic and transport.' 'Im sorry but #BlockadeAustralia is 10yrs too late & giving climate change activism a bad name,' another said. Another man pointed out the protests meant people were spending longer in their cars with the heaters using petrol on due to the road blockage, which ironically was bad for the environment. 'Its all well and good to protest but to harass the broader community is just selfish,' a fourth wrote. As commuters began heading into the city for work, throngs of protesters descended on Elizabeth Street before marching around Hyde Park towards NSW Parliament. The crowd, of around 60 people, was forced to disperse when it was blocked by police at the intersection of George and Bridge streets, blocking access to the Harbour Bridge. Blockade Australia said it would hold a press conference at 2.30pm at Redfern Park. 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 organisers also gave instructions for how activists can wreak havoc on traffic in the CBD. 'This wont 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, 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. Protesters face a maximum penalty of two years' jail and $22,000 fines for disrupting traffic or preventing access on roads. The legislation also created new offences targeting people blocking access to major facilities such as ports and railways.