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Home Affairs Minister Wants Climate Change Protestors To Pay For Police

Home Affairs Minister Wants Climate Change Protestors To Pay For Police

Peter Dutton reckons if they're doing something illegal then they should foot the bill for the police presence.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Extinction Rebellion has waged war on streets around the globe this week to draw attention to their anti-capitalist and climate emergency message.

They've shut down roads, glued and chained themselves to objects and been arrested and charged in the dozens.

Naturally, it takes a lot of police power to make sure they are doing everything within the law and it ties up a lot of resources.

However, Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton reckons people who are found to have broken the law during these rallies should have to foot the bill for the police presence.

"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."

The Today Show

He hasn't been shy about his views on these types of protestors, even going as far as encouraging the federal government to take away payments for any protestor who is on welfare. Social Services minister Michaelia Cash announced an investigation would be taken to see if that was possible.

But Mr Dutton reckons that protests like we've seen this week should not happen at all.

"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."

It seems like Queensland has had enough with these types of events and has announced it will fast track laws that would lock up protestors that bring dangerous devices such as drums with concrete and locks.

Extinction Rebellion SEQ/Facebook

According to the Courier Mail, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: "Someone is going to get hurt. Most people do the right thing...it's just this group who need to be brought under control.''

She's announced that she will fast track laws to ensure anyone who protests in a disruptive manner will be penalised appropriately.

"I say to protesters...'what if it was your mother or grandmother that was held up from getting to hospital because of your actions, blocking streets'," she said.

The new laws would also give police the power to search people for these devices and stop cars from coming into the CBD.

Ms Palaszczuk insists she's not against people's right to protest, however she doesn't appreciate people's active attempt to stop other citizen's day.

Featured Image Credit: Extinction Rebellion SEQ

Topics: News, Australia, Politics