xtinction Rebellion protestors who blockaded a newspaper print works preventing the distribution of three-and-a-half million papers will go on trial next summer.
A series of trials are now set to take place between May and July 2021 after those arrested during the demonstration in Waltham Cross last month appeared at West and Central Hertfordshire Magistrates Court over two days on Tuesday and Wednesday, October 5 and 6, 2020.
The venue for the nine separate trials will be Stevenage Magistrates Court.
In all, 51 people were charged with obstructing the highway following the blockade of the News International printing works in Great Eastern Road, Waltham Cross.
The court heard the road was blocked as protesters chained themselves to structures in a demonstration that lasted from 10pm on Friday, September 4, to 11am the next morning.
It meant lorries couldn’t get out of the depot and readers were delayed in receiving, or did not receive their copies, of The Sun, The Times, Daily Mail and Daily Telegraph.
Extinction Rebellion claimed at the time the demonstration was in response to the newspapers’ failure to report on the climate and ecological emergency.
Between 50 and 60 protestors had been involved.
Some were chained together in a plastic tube full of cement.
Two hung from ropes. The court heard 133 people were stuck in the building unable to get out because of the blockade which had been times when the print works was at its busiest.
Over the last two days, those charged have made their first appearances at the magistrates court in St Albans All faced a charge of obstructing the highway.
Only three of those appearing pleaded guilty to the charge Eleanor McAree, aged 26, of Ongar Road, Brentwood, admitted the offence and the court heard she was also in breach of a nine month conditional discharge imposed last December for an Extinction Rebellion protest in London.
Ms McAree, who earns £41,000 a year as a project manager, was fined £500 for the Broxbourne obstruction, plus £105 costs, £50 victim surcharge and £150 for breaching the conditional discharge.
Will Farbrother, 39, of Forest Road, Walthamstow also pleaded guilty Mr Farbrother, who is giving up his £39,000 a year job as a civil servant to work with refugees in Athens, was of previous good character and was given a six month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £105 costs and a £22 victim surcharge.
Dutch born Janna Goldstein pleaded guilty to the charge.
Miss Goldstein, 26, from Essex Street, Birmingham who, for the last three years has been studying Astrophysics, had been chained to another protestor inside a plastic tube.
The court was told she had joined the protest because she felt the mainstream media was failing to tell the public what the true situation was concerning climate change.
She was given a six month conditional discharge, ordered to pay £105 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £22.
One more protestor still has to appear for the St Albans court.
But it means 47 people will have to attend Stevenage Magistrates Court next summer for the series of trials. All were granted bail with the single condition that they don’t go within 500 metres of the print works in Great Eastern Road. Waltham Cross.
THOSE APPEARING BEFORE THE COURT:
Eleanor Bujak, aged 27, of Bracey Street, London
Samina Bunker, aged 38, of Forest Road, Waltham Forest
Sally Davidson, aged 33, from Byards Croft, London
Gillian Fletcher, aged 58, of Clifton Road, Wokingham
Laura Frandsen, aged 30, of Waller Road, London
Casper Hughes, aged 49, of Commercial Road, Exeter
Amir Jones, aged 39, Fletcher Street, London
Charlotte Kirin, aged 51, of Peckham Street, Bury St Edmunds
Thomas Lee Newman, aged 29, of Swan Hill, Bradford
Liam Norton, aged 35, of Esplanade Gardens, Scarborough
Ryan Simmons, aged 34, of Meliot Road, Lewisham
Timothy Spears, aged 35, of Forest Road, Waltham Forest
Hazel Stenson, aged 56, of Ummars Road, Bury St Edmonds
Edward Tombes, aged 59, of Highbury New Park, Islington
Ben Ramos Wheeler, aged 19, of Cooks Road, Kennington
Elise Yarde, aged 32, of Gainsford Road, London
Gail Thomas, 51, from Stamford in Lincs
Emma Cooper, 29 from Smethwick in the West Midlands
Alice Holmes 37, from Stamford, Lincs
Mandy Leathers, 53 from Bury St Edmunds.
Gilbert Murray 62, from Norwich
Nicola Stickells, 50, from Needham in Norfolk
Robert MacKenzie, 65, from Norwich
Gabriela Ditton, 26 from Norwich
Mark Fletcher, 45, from Norwich
Christopher Ford, 43, from Cambridge
Steve Tooze, 56, from London
Luke Whiting, 24, from London
Gilbert Murray, 62 from Norwich
Graham Cox, 58, from Hemel Hempstead
Bethany Mogie, 38, from St Albans
Rebeccah Plenderlith, 50 from Berkhamsted
Christine Kelly, 61, from London
Cleodie Richard, 24, from London
Joel Scott-Halkes, 28 from London
Sarah Ingam, 39, from London
Christopher Smith, 43, from New Maldon.
Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of James Ogden, 34, of The Avenue, London, Morgan Trowland, 37, of Massie Road, London and Craig Skudder, 54, of Cornwall Road, Harpenden.
Sign up for your daily digest of local Bedfordshire news here:
https://www.bedsbulletin.com/bulletin/sign-up/
