Climate protesters blocking the southbound lane of Wellington's urban motorway are lucky to have escaped without injury this morning.
Three protesters for the Restore Passenger Rail climate action group were met by angry motorists, one of whom grabbed them and drove his vehicle between the people on the road.
The protesters sat down on the stretch of State Highway 1 just ahead of the northern entrance to the Terrace Tunnel about 8am.
Police at the scene of the protest. Photo: Supplied / Restore Passenger Rail
The frustrated motorist tore a banner from the protesters and hurled abuse at them.
A struggle ensued as supporters attempted to stop the man grabbing the seated protesters.
The man swatted aside the phone of one person filming the altercation and threw an item of protesters' clothing into the northbound lane.
He re-entered his vehicle and drove towards the line.
"Just move forward a bit, I'll run them over," he said.
Three protesters hold a sign while sitting on State Highway 1 in Wellington. Photo: Supplied / Restore Passenger Rail
The man shouted to another motorist between his van and the protesters.
"If you're happy to go to court then so am I. I ain't stopping," he said.
A supporter of the protesters who tussled with the man was carried a short distance as she clung to the front of the vehicle.
Activist Magdalena Vith said she would do the same thing again.
"He drove closer and closer and I decided for myself, I'm here to protect my friends, these people fighting for our future.
"I also put my body in the way of the machine to protect people sitting on the road.
"It was so scary, I had to take a couple of breaths after it to calm down, but it's totally worth it and I would do it again. We need people like that who are brave enough to take action because the government is not doing enough."
This month marks the forth wave of the group's disruptive action on the capital's streets in the past year.
Many Wellingtonians felt the tactics could work against the group's hopes to revive the national passenger rail network in response to climate change.
"Now it's a complete disaster I think there's no doubt people are losing their patience. People have had enough," Jack McConchie, in central Wellington, said.
Susan Louise Bates said she was worried the protesters were damaging their own cause with divisive actions.
"It would turn people against them and it draws attention to the cause in a negative way," she said.
However, many agreed that the government needed to take more decisive action to ensure a liveable future on the planet.
"I think sometimes people's lives' get messed up for the greater good and this might be what's happening now," barista Dan Thurston said.
Grandmother Liz Johnston said she was behind the group's calls for more accessible public transport.
"We desperately need more public passenger services, both bus and train, because we can't sustain this level of cars in the city," Johnston said.
The vehicle involved was identified from RNZ footage as a trade van from Wellington bathroom installation company Showerking. They have declined to comment.
Three protesters were taken into custody just after 8.15am and traffic into Wellington was flowing freely soon after.
