Climate change protesters in Melbourne say they will take on board concerns raised by a man with a disability whose morning commute to work was affected by their disruptive demonstration.

Key points: A man with mobility issues said he had struggled to get to work on time due to the disruptions

A man with mobility issues said he had struggled to get to work on time due to the disruptions He said wheelchair users had been "very affected" by the protests

He said wheelchair users had been "very affected" by the protests Police arrested people in Melbourne and Brisbane as the disruptions entered their fourth day

Police used power tools to separate protesters from the Extinction Rebellion movement in both Brisbane and Melbourne, as the activists used similar techniques to chain themselves together at busy intersections.

Police responded to a number of protests across Melbourne's CBD and 41 people were arrested.

Nineteen people were charged with intentionally obstructing an emergency service worker.

The demonstrators blocked the intersection of Collins and Spencer streets outside Southern Cross Station.

Matt, who did not want his surname published, said he had a mobility disability and had approached the protesters to ask how they suggested he get past them to catch his bus to work.

Matt told the ABC he was met with abuse and was told he did not matter, a claim which protesters said was untrue.

"I tried to say: 'Hey look, I care about climate change, I really do, but I also care about my job and trying to get to work especially when I've had a lot of disruption this year due to illness,'" he said.

Matt said the disruptions had made getting around the city difficult. ( ABC News: Zalika Rizmal )

Matt said he could only walk short distances and suffered pain when he walked.

"I know that they're trying to disrupt and that's the purpose of the protest, but I think there's disruption and there's the way that disruption affects different people differently," he said.

"Disruption, like lots of things, affects people with disabilities with more impact than able-bodied people."

Matt said he was moved on by a police officer after the verbal altercation.

In a meeting this week a number of Melburnians who use wheelchairs had told him they were "very affected" by the protests, Matt said.

"I just wish that when people set up things like this they would actually consider the needs and rights of people with disabilities … Don't say that we don't matter, because we do."

The protesters shut down the intersection outside Southern Cross station for about an hour. ( ABC News: Zalika Rizmal )

'We tried to have a conversation'

Tanel Jan Palgi, who was supporting the group of protesters blocking the intersection, said he did not hear or see anyone abusing Matt and the group had apologised for the inconvenience caused by their protest.

"We tried to engage with him … explaining why we were there, what was our cause. But the more we tried to have a conversation the more it was heating up," he said.

"At one point Matt did state that he had a disability and it was very hard for him to walk long distances and he really needed to catch a bus.

"We were very understanding to that but under the circumstances of the protest there wasn't much that we could have done to help him."

Mr Palgi said the police officer who had witnessed the exchange told Matt he was becoming "a little bit aggressive" before encouraging him to move on.

But he said he accepted Matt's point that Extinction Rebellion could do more to make sure they supported people with disabilities who needed to navigate around their protests.

Extinction Rebellion spokesman James Norman said while he was not aware of the particular incident, "we would absolutely apologise" if it was true.

"Respect and public safety and common decency are essential values and principles to Extinction Rebellion, and certainly we wouldn't condone that kind of treatment of anyone," Mr Norman said.

"So I apologise for that.

"We aim to cause disruption in order to make a point about the climate emergency, but we certainly don't want to cause any kind of threat to public safety."

Another Extinction Rebellion member told the ABC the issue of respectful communication would be raised with demonstrators at the campsite headquarters in Carlton Gardens.

Week of protest continues in Melbourne and Brisbane

The Extinction Rebellion movement is organising demonstrations in more than 60 cities across the world calling for urgent action on climate change.

The Melbourne protesters blocked the intersection of Collins and Spencer streets about 8:30am by lying down in a circle.

With arms linked through pipes, the protesters shouted "extinction, rebellion!" before police moved in to begin arrests.

In similar scenes in Brisbane, police used power tools to free a group of demonstrators in Brisbane's CBD, who attached themselves to a pink catamaran parked in a busy intersection.

Police cut into the vessel in order to arrest the protesters in Brisbane. ( ABC News: Kathy McLeish )

About 10 people had their arms stuck inside pipes attached to the boat, with officers having to cut sections of the vessel out to take the protesters into custody.

It comes a day after the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced she would fast-track laws to ban "lock-on" items used by climate protestors.

Police arrested about 10 demonstrators in Brisbane this morning. ( ABC News: Anna Hartley )

Commander Tim Hansen of Victoria Police yesterday warned that officers were being pulled away from investigating crimes in order to monitor the CBD protests.

Nearly 60 protesters were arrested on Tuesday when they blocked the intersection of Spring and Collins streets.

While hundreds took part in similar demonstrations in Sydney earlier in the week, the protests had died down by Thursday.