Goulburn Mulwaree Council removes chalk after Extinction Rebellion action

Extinction Rebellion, a climate and ecological action group, staged a protest outside Hume MP and Environment Minister Angus Taylor's office on Wednesday.

As part of the protest, members sprayed what a council spokesman earlier described as spray paint on the paving installed in Auburn Street just last year.

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"It's frustrating that people come into town and make a mess and that it costs the ratepayer for us to clean it up," Mr Bennett said.

"Nobody rejects their right to protest but it would be nice if they didn't deface public facilities."

The group's media spokeswoman, Larissa Payne, told The Post that the group used a spray on chalk that "washed away in the rain."

"We totally understand the council's concerns and the last thing we want to do is upset people," she said.

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"We deliberately chose chalk so it would wash away. I'd just say that a bit of (pavement) mess pales in comparison to the mess that is the climate emergency."

She likened the chalk, which was used to paint an hourglass symbolising that "time was running out," to that used by children to paint hopscotch games.

Twenty members of the nationwide group participated in the action. It opposed gas projects, which they said Mr Taylor supported, and backed renewable energy.

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Ms Payne said members came from Sydney, Canberra, the Blue Mountains and Wingecarribee Shire. Five lived in the Hume electorate.

"The extras were locals patting us on the back," she said.

"We found them receptive and supportive. Some people called police and we respect their right to do that. We don't want to inconvenience people but we need to disrupt in a non-violent way to get our message across. Our under-pinning value is non-violence."

Mr Taylor's office has not responded to requests for comment on the protest.

The group says it is planning other "targeted protests."

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