Anti-cycleway protester tears up traffic island in central Auckland, is taken away by police

Protestor Lisa Prager took to the centre island at the top of Richmond Rd with a sledgehammer and a crowbar. Photo / Google Maps

An activist has been taken away by police after tearing up a traffic island in central Auckland.

Lisa Prager began "disassembling" the island at the intersection of Richmond Road and Surrey Crescent with a sledgehammer and crowbar earlier this morning.

Prager was protesting Auckland Transport's construction of a cycleway through the road, which she said was a "hazard" in the neighbourhood.

She claimed Auckland Transport had agreed to halt work on the project, but had then started to paint in the cycleway.

"It's turning into a major war," she said.

Prager was there for around two hours before she was pulled away by police.

Lisa Prager spent five days in a tree on Quay Street earlier this year, protesting against the removal of trees. Photo / Meghan Lawrence

An Auckland Transport spokesperson said police removed a person from the intersection.

"Auckland Transport contacted police following reports of a woman inside a cordoned work site at the intersection of Surrey Crescent and Richmond Road," he said.

"We were very concerned about public safety."

A police spokesman confirmed officers attended an alleged "wilful damage incident" at the Richmond Road and Surrey Crescent intersection.

"A female is helping us with our enquiries and there is no further information available at this stage," he said.

Prager is a veteran protester who has previously refused to pay Auckland Council's rates increases.

She also spent five days either sitting in a tree or occupying a digger on Quay St earlier this year as contractors began to remove trees from median islands along the busy central strip.