Hundreds of activists have stormed Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, and Adelaide CBDs on Friday evening, protesting the controversial Adani mine, which was given the green-light to begin construction last week.
Socio-political movement Extinction Rebellion is hoping to pressure the Federal Government to declare a climate emergency and "end its reliance on coal".
The Carmichael Coal Mine received its final environmental approvals to begin work on the central Queensland project, after nearly a decade of opposition and debate.
Queensland's Environment Department last week approved the mine's groundwater management plan, ultimately giving it the final go-ahead.
Around 60 people have begun construction activity that includes work on the mine access road.
Adani claimed the project will create about 1500 direct jobs and 6750 indirect jobs at peak points of construction and when the project ramps up.
Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Miriam Robinson tonight said frustrated citizens concerned about climate change had "run out of time to wait for the existing political process to work."
"We needed a climate declaration yesterday, but our governments are not listening, which is why we have to get out in the streets to make ourselves heard," she said.
"This might be disruptive for some people and we apologise for that, but if the climate runs out of control this kind of disruption will be nothing to what will come."
Ms Robinson said Australia entering "emergency mode" would allow focus on a bipartisan sustained effort to address the climate crisis.
