Fireproof Australia Harbour Bridge protest hits its own roadblock

A planned protest to shutdown the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Thursday fizzled out amid a massive police presence, as four other members affiliated with the group were granted bail after allegedly shutting down one of the key roads leading to it on Wednesday.
Fireproof Australia, the group which has caused havoc with a series of rolling protests over the last fortnight, promised to block the iconic bridge in a protest coinciding with the 33rd birthday of one of their members, Andrew George, who this week was jailed for three months after letting off a flare at the Sharks and Tigers NRL game on the weekend.
Their threats resulted in a heavy police presence including more than a dozen police vehicles, an Australian Federal Police boat and riot squad members staking out the Harbour Bridge on Thursday.
But the large scale protest promised fizzed out – with just four members gathering in a park, although there was no remorse from those present over the waste of police resources.
“We’re really mystified as to why they feel they need that excessive presence … we never expected it to be a huge thing,” Fireproof Australia spokeswoman Bonnie Cassen said at the gathering.
Multiple members of the group, including Mr George’s mother Carmin, said police had visited their homes and confiscated tealight candles they intended on lighting at their action.

The group has pledged further action to add to their series of disruptions – ranging from blocking the Spit Bridge in March and blockading Port Botany earlier this month.
It came as four protesters charged over the peak-hour shutdown of the Cahill Expressway on Wednesday were granted bail.
Deanna Coco, 31, Karen Fitz-Gibbon, 44, Jay Larbalestier, 36, and Alan Glover, 65, appeared in Sydney’s Central Local Court on Thursday charged with entering Sydney Harbour Bridge to disrupt vehicles, interfering with the safe operation of the bridge and refusing to comply with police direction.

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