A man who was hanging from a harness beneath Brisbane's Story Bridge has been charged by police after voluntarily climbing back to the bridge deck.

Key points: Extinction Rebellion is holding protests in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this week

Extinction Rebellion is holding protests in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this week Brisbane protesters chained themselves to CBD intersections but roads have since been cleared

Brisbane protesters chained themselves to CBD intersections but roads have since been cleared Melbourne activists plan to swarm intersections in the city throughout the day

Officers were called to the bridge just after 5:50am to find climate protester Paul Jukes, 49, swinging from a makeshift harness about 10 metres below the bridge deck and 50 metres above the river.

Mr Jukes was demanding Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner declare a climate emergency.

He had initially said he was prepared to stay "as long as it takes", packing several days' worth of supplies, but changed his plan when he heard police were looking to remove him.

"I am going to climb out of here to save police the trouble, they've talked to me and when they come back they are bringing me the safety gear they feel they need and then I'll climb out," he said.

"I was prepared to stay here as long as I could but I'm not going to be here much longer.

"Instead of replying to my request, the Premier would prefer to send the police to come get me out.

"I don't want her to feel she can't declare a climate emergency because she's giving in to me — it's not about me, it's a moral issue."

Police blocked part of the Story Bridge as they negotiated with the person. ( Supplied: Stephen Rashford )

Late on Tuesday afternoon, Mr Jukes was charged with unregulated high-risk activity and he is due to face court on Wednesday.

He had spent several hours lying in a suspended hammock, surrounded by Extinction Rebellion and climate emergency flags.

But he also distanced himself from the movement.

"I am not a huge supporter of Extinction Rebellion myself to be honest, but it does have something no-one else has, but it's a vehicle for people to create autonomous actions like I'm doing.

"I am not really expecting I'll go to jail. I've caused no damage but I'm willing to cop whatever they throw at me."

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Queensland Ambulance Service medical director Stephen Rashford photographed the scene from a distance, describing it as "a waste of valuable emergency services".

"Honestly, enjoying our rights in Australia to safely protest does not give you the right to act like a moron and tie up valuable emergency services," he said in a tweet.

"Not sure affecting good people going about their business does anything but demonstrate immaturity."

Extinction Rebellion spokeswoman Laura Harland confirmed a member of the group was responsible but said the act was not part of the larger, planned protests organised in Brisbane this week.

"The group is an autonomous, decentralised movement," she said.

"Most actions, everyone in the movement isn't going to know about. [This protest has been] organised by a smaller group [within Extinction Rebellion]."

Paul Jukes initially said he was prepared to stay hanging under the bridge for days. ( Supplied: Paul Jukes )

Personal connection to cause

Earlier, Mr Jukes, an engineer from Airlie Beach, said he had 30 years' experience as a rock climber and felt safe.

He said he suffered a personal loss due to climate change when his late wife's memorial was destroyed in the recent Binna Burra bushfires.

"She passed away when my daughters were very young. She asked her ashes be scattered in Lamington National Park and a memorial was set up and it just burnt," he said.

"My daughters have lost that connection to their mother."

A spokesperson for the Premier said everyone had the right to protest.

"But it's when those extreme protesters hinder people from getting to and from work, where they are trying to earn a living and put food on the table for their families that it oversteps the mark," the spokesperson said.

"Someday, someone is going to get hurt, someone is not going to be able to get to a hospital in time and that's simply unacceptable."

One of the protesters who locked themselves into barrels in Brisbane. ( ABC News: Scott Kyle )

More protests around city

Police said they had charged 29 people over additional protest incidents in Brisbane's CBD on Tuesday.

Ms Harland said three people had locked themselves onto barrels filled with concrete in the middle of the intersection of George and Ann streets.

Police said a vehicle also dropped barrels that were used to block the roadway in two places between George, Turbot and Ann streets, but that all roads were cleared by 9:00am.

Police were forced to block off a busy Brisbane intersection after protesters chained themselves to concrete-filled drums. ( ABC News: Hailey Renault )

Newspaper office targeted

In Perth, two Extinction Rebellion protesters were arrested while trying to enter the headquarters of the West Australian newspaper.

About 50 climate change demonstrators rallied outside the offices of WA's only daily newspaper in the suburb of Osborne Park.

Two men were arrested by police and taken into custody around 9:30am AWST as they tried to walk into the building.

Protesters at one stage painted a pink Extinction Rebellion logo on a Seven West media sign outside the newspaper's offices, before later washing it off.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 55 seconds 55 s Extinction Rebellion protesters demonstrate outside West Australian newspaper HQ

Sydney activists dress as bees, stage 'die-in'

Three protesters have been arrested in Sydney.

Dressed as bees, more than 100 protesters from the Extinction Rebellion group staged a "die-in" at Hyde Park, claiming the insects are under threat due to the human impact on the environment.

The trio arrested by police had been lying on the roadway at the intersection of Market and Elizabeth streets in the CBD.

Climate-change protesters gathered at Hyde Park in Sydney dressed as bees. ( ABC News: Ainslie Drewitt-Smith )

The group, which included the protest's organiser, was taken into police custody just after 10:00am as the other protesters marched from the park towards Town Hall.

It follows the arrest of 38 people on Monday in Sydney who laid in the street and chained themselves to objects as part of protests around Central Station and Broadway.

Those arrested are aged between 19 and 75 and have been charged with failing to comply with police direction.

Melbourne protesters 'not here to spoil everyone's day'

In Melbourne, some core members of Extinction Rebellion camped out in Carlton Gardens in the city's north overnight before heading back into the CBD.

Spokeswoman Miriam Robinson said the plan was to "swarm" city centre intersections throughout the day.

The protesters split into smaller groups, followed by small teams of police.

A group of protesters camped in the city's Carlton Gardens on Monday night. ( ABC News: Stephanie Ferrier )

"Our intention is not to hold people up for hours and hours and shut the whole city down, we're not here to spoil everyone's day, that's not our reason for being," Ms Robinson said.

"What we're trying to do is draw attention to the climate emergency. And unfortunately we're driven to do things like this, because this is what gets the attention, this is what causes government to respond.

"We've done marches, we've signed petitions, we've written letters, we've done all those things, we've been doing all those things for decades, and it's not working.

"Our emissions are still going up, the climate crisis gets worse and worse, temperatures are rising, sea levels are rising."

Similar demonstrations blocked traffic on Monday evening, causing widespread traffic disruptions.

Ten people were arrested at a demonstration at the intersection of the busy Flinders and Swanston streets for failing to obey orders to move on.

Two of those arrested were charged with intentionally obstructing an emergency worker.

Disruptions across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane by Extinction Rebellion are expected to continue for the rest of the week.