Climate change protestor Meme Thorne who caused traffic chaos in Adelaide starred in Ampol petrol ad
An actress who caused busy CBD commuter traffic to come to a halt in a protest was revealed to have earned thousands starring in an ad for major producer, Ampol. Meme Thorne, 69, abseiled off a bridge over North Terrace near the Royal Hospital as part of an anti-oil and gas demonstration on Wednesday morning. But she faced accusations of hypocrisy after it was discovered she was paid $4,611.07 last year for her role in the TV ad promoting the petroleum giant. In the TV ad Ms Thorne can be seen sitting in a hybrid vehicle with actor Nick Phillips in the 'powering our way of life' advert. She played a passenger putting on her glasses and extending a comforting arm to the actor as he drove along in the ad. The mother of one was charged after she hung off the Morphett Street bridge for 90 minutes stopping cars and trams during the peak-morning rush hour. Others involved in the Extinction Rebellion protest chanted and held up signs that said, 'no new coal, oil or gas' and 'end fossil fuels now'. But it then came to light Ms Thorne took part in a multimedia campaign last year for the ASX-listed petrol company Ampol - Australia's leading fuel supplier. She was asked on Friday if she thought she was living a double standard in accepting a job from the petrol industry heavyweight. The Willunga resident told the people 'might' think she is a hypocrite but added she had 'no control over [it], people will think what they want'. 'I know the truth of my actions, I stand by [them],' Ms Thorne said. She added she had done research into Ampol before she took on the acting job and was 'pleasantly surprised' by its plan to 'transition to sustainable practices'. Ms Thorne said the company was 'making sure all their service stations were powered by solar energy and in all their stations there were EV charging points'. She claimed she spoke to the firm's executives who seemed 'interested' in ER protests and that she congratulated its CEO Matthew Halliday for Ampol's commitment to a low carbon future. The company reported a $732million profit last year. The TV, film and theatre actor was charged with obstructing a public place and disturbing the peace and is on a $500 bail. The ER group on Wednesday were objecting to the the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) conference at the nearby Adelaide Convention Centre. It is the third time the actor has caused a mass disruption. 'My beef - as it has been with the climate activists - (is) that we've been wanting the government not to allow any new oil, gas or coal projects,' she said. Ms Thorne does not earn a lot of money in the acting world but survives on an aged pension as well as doing carer work. Ampol was contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment.