Controversial protest group Extinction Rebellion have threatened to blockade Canberra streets at a protest on Wednesday afternoon.
In an open letter published today, the group said it would "occupy Parliament House lawns until a member from each party comes to talk with us."
"If politicians refuse to meet with us, we will escalate to blockading Canberra city. For that, we are calling on sympathetic Canberrans to donate old 'fossil fuel guzzlers' to the movement," the group said.
Protester Dr Cat Sparks said the group was "really sorry for the inconvenience."
"We're annoying. Absolutely. We're annoying. And we really are sorry for the inconvenience," she said.
"But there is nothing more necessary than this. I don't want to do this. I don't want to go to jail. I certainly don't want to disrupt people's lives. I hate blocking traffic. But we have to address this problem or literally ... there will be no civilization on this planet."
Dr Sparks said the controversial protesting techniques - such as setting a pram outside Parliament House on fire, disrupting peak-hour traffic and splashing red paint on a Department of Agriculture sign - was the only way to get attention from politicians and the media.
"We are not rent a crowd. We are frightened. We are terrified of the future we are heading into and there's nothing else [that] works," Dr Sparks said.
"Polite protest doesn't work, signing petitions doesn't work at all, marching through city streets with approval doesn't work. We all donate money to the climate cause, we all do everything we can, but nothing else gets the attention and of the media and of politicians. So that is why we do these things."
The group want the federal government to commit to net-zero emissions by 2025 or 2030.
The protest will take place on at 3pm on Wednesday on Parliament House Lawns.
The activists said they were arrested and held for 24 hours after camping on Parliament House on Sunday night.
"No complaints against the police, but being locked up is horrible. It's a horrible environment. It's really sterile, it's cold, there's weird sounds, it's boring," Dr Sparks said.
ACT Policing said since Monday October 15, 15 Extinction Rebellion activists have been charged with offences including camping on Commonwealth land, obstructing traffic, trespass, defacing commonwealth property, and breach of bail conditions.
"ACT Policing will maintain a presence at the protest activity today, as it has done for each day of the protest activity at Parliament House," a spokesperson said.
"ACT Policing respects the right of people to demonstrate; however, we remind all participants to ensure their activities remain lawful."
