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After a week of protests, police, and disruption, a Dunedin climate activist says protesters are not going anywhere.
Trains carrying coal were stopped from leaving the Dunedin Railway Station when Extinction Rebellion protesters gathered on train tracks on both Wednesday and Thursday mornings.
No formal action was taken against the activists, although police criticised them for putting themselves, and the train drivers, in danger.
One of the protesters who took to the tracks this week was 16-year-old Liam Scaife.
He said while protesters at other events, such as the School Strike 4 Climate marches, would work alongside police, Extinction Rebellion was more about non-violent direct action.
That meant it was supposed to be disruptive, and in many cases, illegal.
At past similar train track protests where more people were involved, someone would ring KiwiRail’s emergency number to alert them when protesters moved on to the tracks, he said.
That did not happen this week, but the assumption was always that the driver would see them, he said.
He took issue with police concerns about teenagers being encouraged to put themselves in danger, saying that insinuated a lack of autonomy.
A police spokeswoman said the role of police was to ensure safety and uphold the law, while also recognising the right to protest.
When police became aware of planned protests, it was common for them to make contact with the parties involved and identify their intentions, obtain information, and ensure protests were carried out in a peaceful manner to ensure the safety of all involved, she said.
Police were not told about the two protests this week.
"In both instances police spoke to the protesters and warned them that if they did not move off the tracks they would be legally trespassed and could face legal action.
"The protesters at that point moved off the tracks and no further action was deemed necessary," she said.
Police responded to behaviour that was a clear criminal offence, she said.
"Protest, even disruptive protest, is not in itself unlawful, but could be in a given circumstance."
Asked at what stage police would take further action against repeat offenders, she said they would have to assess responses if and when that happened.