More than a hundred protesters marched through Brisbane's CBD on Wednesday morning, protesting against a lack of action on climate change and the Government's attempt to crack down on their right to block streets.

Key points: Protest action was allowed to go ahead after a court ruling on Tuesday

Protest action was allowed to go ahead after a court ruling on Tuesday Protesters were holding signs about climate change and political corruption

Protesters were holding signs about climate change and political corruption Lawyers for the council opposed the application by Councillor Sri to march through the CBD

Led by Brisbane City Greens Councillor Jonathan Sri and escorted by police, the activists from groups including Extinction Rebellion and Grey Power marched until about 9:00am.

They were holding signs about climate change and political corruption.

Protester Anne Gardiner said she attended the march to stand up for the rights of Queensland citizens.

"If this protest had been banned it would have been a big nail in the coffin of our civil rights," she said.

"Protesting is not an illegal activity, it's the way of demonstrating that we do not agree with some of the decisions that are being made and we have very few other ways of doing that."

Loading

Morgan Bundy-Wright said she was concerned about increasing police powers.

"My parents had to protest on the street under Joh Bjelke-Petersen and I can't believe that we're going back to that era," she said.

"I'm shocked that anyone would try to shut down a peaceful protest — this is what democracy is all about."

Claire Cowper brought her young daughters to participate in the march.

"Change is never comfortable and I think that the disruption, while it's unfortunate, is the only way to get some people to be interested," she said.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner described the protesters as "extremists" who were trying to maximise disruptions to commuters.

"This is designed to cause chaos and it's happening again and again," he said.

"Even the CMFEU takes a more reasonable approach than these extremists."

Councillor Sri said council's attempt to suppress the right to peaceful assembly was a "very bad look for the Lord Mayor".

"I think the suggestion that the Government should decide when people protest and what they get to protest about is utterly ridiculous and needs to be rejected wholeheartedly," he said.

"Of course protests are going to be a little bit disruptive, that's the nature of a healthy democratic process."

Councillor Sri said he tried to negotiate with council to hold the march in the Queen Street Mall so it would not block traffic, but Councillor Shrinner said that was not a reasonable alternative.

'Protesting the right to protest'

The planned protest was allowed to go ahead after a magistrate granted permission yesterday, when the Brisbane City Council took last-minute legal action against Councillor Sri to try and stop it.

Brisbane's CBD was disrupted by more than a hundred protesters. ( ABC News: Talissa Siganto )

Lawyers for the council were opposing an application, made by Councillor Sri last week, to hold a march that would shut down some of the city's major roads during peak hour.

They argued the protest would significantly disrupt commuters with excessive traffic delays and have major impacts to bus services in and out of the city.

Councillor Sri told the court the action was about "protesting the right to protest" after the State Government last week proposed new laws to crack down on activists.

He argued the council's bid to stop the protest was more about "gaining political mileage" rather than reducing traffic disruptions and claimed the delays were overstated.

In court on Tuesday afternoon, a Brisbane magistrate ordered the planned action was permitted, saying he was not satisfied it was necessary or reasonable to refuse it.

He said denying it would not be suitable in a "democratic society" and ordered it could go ahead.