That included some sections of council parks that can be booked, not just libraries. "Last week we had a week of continuous disruption in our city by extremist protesters," Cr Schrinner said. "One of the things many people have contacted me about is the fact that this group, Extinction Rebellion, who are arranging protests and actively disrupting the life of this city, are using council facilities such as libraries to organise their protests. "I have given a commitment to the people of Brisbane, and in fact the people that have contacted me, that I will urgently review this situation and so I have had a look at what policies may be in place, or what policies may exist on this mater." Cr Schrinner said there was no precedent in Brisbane for the situation and said the use of council facilities by groups like Extinction Rebellion generated "a lot of opinion", but guidelines existed specifying facilities could not be used by groups encouraging illegal activity.

The lord mayor said Extinction Rebellion "fit into the category" of an activist group that encouraged illegal activity, after more than 100 people were arrested around Brisbane over the past week. Opposition leader Jared Cassidy slammed the urgency motion as a "farce" and an attempt by the LNP to distract from questions around councillor spending. Independent councillor Nicole Johnston (Tennyson) accused the LNP administration of trying to "silence groups who they don't agree with". "If we're having a massive problem with the misuse of council libraries, presumably the lord mayor can stand up and answer a simple question – how many times have meetings of Extinction Rebellion people been held in a council library?" Cr Johnston asked. "Where is your evidence to justify this motion that is before us today?"

Cr Schrinner said the ban was focused on groups that incited the breaking of the law, not groups he personally disagreed with. Extinction Rebellion activists have shut down Brisbane's CBD in recent weeks. Credit:Darren England/AAP Greens councillor Jonathan Sri (The Gabba) questioned the definition of a "council facility", asking whether it covered King George Square or other Brisbane parks and regions, or indeed his own ward office. Cr Sri said the "practical effect" of the motion would make it impossible for any advocacy community group to meet in a council facility, not just Extinction Rebellion. "The broad problem here is that this council is setting themselves up as an arbiter of what people can meet about, what people can talk about, and what counts as an illegal activity," Cr Sri said.