The protest is not expected to disrupt train services, however authorised officers, station staff and police will be monitoring key city stations throughout the night. The protesters have drawn inspiration from pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, who use movement to avoid arrest and blockades to shut off streets. Monash University student and protest organiser Ebony Bain Perkins said she was "a little excited" ahead of Friday's protests, where she expected between 100 and 150 fellow students to show up. The 20-year-old environmental science student said the protesters had discussed the impact they would have on commuters, but felt it was "necessary".

Loading "We think it's necessary to something that's extreme so we can get the attention of people. Sometimes you just need to get in the way," Ms Bain Perkins said. One of the other organisers, Natalie Acreman, said they were cooperating with police but hadn't told them where they would go after meeting at the library. "We haven't let them know about the plan," she told radio station 3AW. "Part of wanting to be disruptive to help get our message across about the need to fight for climate justice is to disrupt business as usual.

"We want to be the most disruptive as possible, which means keeping a few things up our sleeve." She said she was willing to be arrested. "We are heading towards an ecological crisis ... there are a few things more important than being ten minutes late to wherever you're going," she said. The demonstration is the first in a series, called the "Spring Rebellion", planned for the coming months where acts of civil disturbance aim to put climate change on the agenda. The protesters are part of UK-based protest group Extinction Rebellion and have a list of demands including the declaration of a climate emergency.

Loading There are concerns Friday's protest will affect tonight's footy final clash between Collingwood and Geelong at the MCG, but Ms Bain Perkins said there was "no plan at all" to interfere with fans getting to their game. "Some of the protesters are going to the football after. One person specifically asked for it to finish [at 7pm] so they could go." The protest is scheduled to finish at 7pm, and the first siren will blow just under an hour later. A Victoria Police spokesperson said they were aware of the protest and careful planning was under way "to ensure the safety of all involved, regardless of the issue at hand or the topic of discussion".

"Victoria Police asks that people be patient, plan their journey and allow extra time where possible," they said. "Police make every effort to engage with event organisers to facilitate their right to lawful protest whilst discussing expectations around appropriate behaviour. As always, anyone coming to an event in Melbourne looking to disrupt others or create conflict and incite violence can expect a firm response from police." They also urged parents to talk to their children after they received information that a number of unsupervised young people were going to be involved in the protest. North West Metro Commander Tim Hansen said police were hoping to have an open dialogue with the protesters. "We are thinking at the moment that 5000 to 10,000 people will turn up. We are pretty confident with the operation model that we can cover that number pretty easily," he said.