Motorists heading home from work today can expect traffic delays on the Johnson Street bridge due to a planned protest, Victoria police say.
The protest group has told police they plan to assemble in Centennial Square and then begin a brief march west down Pandora Avenue to the Johnson Street Bridge, arriving at about 5:30 p.m.
The march is timed to coincide with COP 24, the annual UN Climate Change conference that started today in Poland.
Marchers plan to block traffic on the bridge for 12 minutes, “one minute for each of the 12 years we have left to address the climate crisis,” according to a statement from the two organizing groups, Rise and Resist! and Extinction Rebellion-Vancouver Island.
There will also be a candle-lit vigil and two minutes of silence to acknowledge the depth of the climate emergency, the group said.
Last month, similar climate change rallies were held across the U.K. and Australia.
Victoria police will not be closing the bridge to facilitate the protesters’ actions and they will be required to ensure the safety of participants and the public, police spokesman Bowen Osoko said in a prepared statement.
Officers have reminded participants that blocking a highway as part of a protest is unlawful, Osoko said.
