More than 30 Extinction Rebellion protesters have appeared in court in London charged with a range of public order offences.
The charges relate to demonstrations led by the movement in April – when thousands of people blocked landmarks across the capital over 10 days to highlight climate breakdown.
A group of Extinction Rebellion activists stood outside City of London magistrates court in support of the protesters, aged between 20 and 76.
Ruth Ben-Tovim, 53, from Totnes in Devon, denied being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on both 16 and 21 April. Her trial dates are yet to be set.
Simon Kitt, 25, from Ashburton in Devon, pleaded guilty to the same offence at the same location on 21 April.
After entering his plea, Kitt, who was given a conditional discharge, said that the large number of people arrested during the protests “definitely helps the cause”.
“It’s beautiful to see everyone here showing such support” he said, adding that he had entered a guilty plea because of the potential cost of taking proceedings further.
Polly Huggett, 36, from Symondsbury in Dorset and Tara Leon, 43, from Hemel Hempstead, both denied being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on 21 April.
Rachel King, 42, from Orpington, London, denied being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on 20 April.
Jasmine Salter, 26, from Dunbar in Scotland, denied being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Oxford Circus on 16 April.
Extinction Rebellion is an international protest group that uses non-violent civil disobedience to campaign on environmental issues.
More than 1,000 activists were arrested in April 2019 after protesters occupied four sites across London, as well as blocking roads, disrupting a train line and conducting a protest at Heathrow. Other demonstrations have included a semi-naked protest inside the House of Commons.
The group says climate breakdown threatens all life on Earth, and so it is rebelling against politicians who 'have failed us', to provoke radical change that will stave off a climate emergency.
David Lewis, 55, from Carmarthen in Wales, denied being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Oxford Circus on 17 April.
Caroline Hunt, 76, from Bristol, pleaded guilty to being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on 21 April. She was given a conditional discharge.
Ciaran Joseph O’Carroll, 31, from Dublin, was given a conditional discharge after he pleaded guilty to being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Oxford Circus on 17 April.
Sonia Santa Maria, 43, from Southwark, pleaded guilty to being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on 16 April. She was given a conditional discharge.
Christine Freegard, 64, from Cornwall and Claire Spanner, 52, from Cheltenham, both denied being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on 17 April.
Peter Tyler, a 20-year-old Physics student from Argyll and Bute, pleaded guilty to the same offence and was given a six-month conditional discharge. His solicitor told the court that Tyler “did not set out to be arrested”, but had felt compelled to join the protests because of his “concern about the climate crisis”.
Georgina Byrom, 45, from Plymouth, was charged with being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on 16 April. She pleaded guilty to the charge by post, a court official said.
Sam Slack, 27, entered a not guilty plea to being public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Waterloo Bridge on 15 April. Stephen Haynes, 35, from Bristol, denied the same offence.
Kate Bull, 58 from Powys, Wales, denied being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer on 17 April at Oxford Circus.
Stephen Eeckelaers, 46, from Newcastle upon Tyne, pleaded guilty to being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Oxford Street on 17 April.
Mark Steinhardt, 65, from Bedford, pleaded guilty to being a public assembly participant failing to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer at Parliament Square on 19 April.
The trials of the protesters who pleaded not guilty are set to take place between September and October this year.
