Don't take on Queensland cops on street: police chief

Queensland's top cop has told Brisbane residents to comply with all police orders during the G20 or risk being deemed a security threat.

Commissioner Ian Stewart says the 6000 officers who are in the city to maintain order during the leaders' summit will be in a state of "hyper-vigilance" and ready to react to any suspicious activity.

He says anyone given an order by an officer should comply immediately, and not argue with police in the street.

Anyone angry about police actions can lodge complaints later, he says.

"Don't take our officers on in the street," Mr Stewart said on Fairfax Radio today.

"Because that might be seen as trying to do something that is interfering with the security of the whole community at the time."

Mr Stewart also said that while people are allowed to take pictures within the declared zone in the Brisbane CBD, officers still might ask them to stop if they view it as a security concern.

He said G20 protests that have already taken place went off smoothly and police aren't aware of any imminent threat during this weekend's summit.

Australian Council for Civil Liberties president Terry O'Gorman said most people in Brisbane weren't aware what extra powers police had under G20 laws, and the lack of a public education campaign was regrettable.

"The problem with the commissioner's comment is he's putting all the responsibility onto completely uninformed citizens as to what their rights are," he told AAP.

"They don't know that police can come up to you and seek proof of name and address, can search you without a reason. So this is a problem of the police's own making."

He said the most practical thing people could do was to comply with police directions, even if they objected.

"To take on police is almost inevitably going to result in a person spending time in the watchhouse," Mr O'Gorman said.