Police have arrested three female climate protesters for alleged indecent behaviour at the Tour Down Under in Adelaide’s south.
Key points:
- Three women have been arrested after a protest during the Tour Down Under in Adelaide’s south
- The protest was held on the sidelines of the Women’s Stage 1 event on Sunday
- The group wants Santos to be dumped as a sponsor of the Tour Down Under
SA Police said officers were patrolling the Tour Down Under around 12:30pm on Sunday when they were alerted to a group of people on Main South Road at Noarlunga Downs allegedly exposing themselves.
Video footage shows partly naked women among a group of protesters standing on the side of the road holding signs and singing as cyclists and cars rode past.
Police said a 69-year-old woman from McLaren Vale, a 70-year-old woman from Port Willunga, and a 74-year-old woman from Aldinga were arrested and charged with indecent behaviour.
In a statement, climate activist group Extinction Rebellion said protesters were calling for energy giant Santos to be dumped as a Tour Down Under sponsor.
“We are baring our ageing breasts and our wobbly bums in the hope of shocking,” one protester said.
“Polite pleas and submissions have not been enough.”
Police said the group will be bailed to appear in court at a later date.
The first stage of the women’s event was held on Sunday, with riders cycling from Glenelg to Aldinga.
This year marks the first Tour Down Under held since 2020, because of the COVID pandemic.
Last Thursday, two women were arrested after gluing themselves to a pile of bicycles on a city street in protest of Santos’s sponsorship