Three Extinction Rebellion protesters cleared of trespassing at a News UK-owned printing press say they have "justice".
Demonstrators blocked the entrance of Newsprinters in Knowsley with a blue box van and a yellow boat on a trailer on September 4, 2020.
Their actions prevented the distribution of over half a million copies of papers including The Times, The S*n, The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail.
The protest was mirrored in Glasgow and London over concerns about coverage of environmental issues and the "manipulation of the truth" by corporations owned by billionaire Rupert Murdoch.
Katie Anne Ritchie-Moulin, Harrison Radcliffe and Luca Vitale were charged with aggravated trespass after they camped overnight on the blue van in Knowsley.
Ms Ritchie-Moulin, 22, Mr Radcliffe, 21, and Mr Vitale, 22 admitted they were among the protesters but denied aggravated trespassing.
Their defence representatives tried to get the case thrown out on Monday at Liverpool Magistrates Court, but a district judge ruled that they must face a trial.
The three were subsequently found not guilty by District Judge Paul Healey, who said: "I have come to the conclusion I cannot be sure beyond all reasonable doubt the defendants were trespassing."
The judge noted evidence heard from Alan Griffiths, a manager at the printing press, who was "unable to say with certainty" where the boundary between the public and private land was.
Richard Bridgen, defending Ms Ritchie-Moulin, speaking about Mr Griffith's evidence, said: "Had he decided to join himself with the protest that day he wouldn't have known if he was trespassing or not and he is a man who is intimately connected with the premises."
Mr Bridgen added that there was no signage which pointed out it was private land.
Mark Pritchard, defending Mr Vitale, explained the judge could not rely on maps from Knowsley Council and HM Land Registry which had been entered as evidence as written on them it stated they were "not to be used as legal documents".
Nicola Hall, defending Mr Radcliffe, said: "What we have to be very careful of, what both of these maps are saying, is 'we're not good enough for a civil case.'
"If they're not good enough for that, they can never be good enough for a criminal court."
The three protesters yesterday told the ECHO they were 'relieved' after having been acquitted.
Ms Ritchie-Moulin, of Prospect Road, Birmingham, said: "I guess it feels like we've got some level of justice.
"I'm feeling relief, I'm obviously really glad and I'm also thinking about victims of the press and the lack of a free press.
"The press is owned by four billionaires, there is no accountability to them and what they print."
She added this "encourages division, whether it's towards refugees and asylum seekers, or obviously we're in Liverpool, the Hillsborough victims".
Ms Ritchie-Moulin said: "The press has such a high level of control over politicians and government. It prevents people being able to impact change and do the right thing."
She added: "It's important to be able to hold our government to account as the people. It's central for a functioning democracy."
Mr Vitale, of Winston Gardens, Leeds, said: "We came out the action feeling like what we had been charged with was far less severe than the current impact of the media being controlled by billionaires creating greater division within our country.
"It feels like such a relief to have justice for what we did."
Mr Vitale also apologised to those who were disrupted, adding: "We sincerely apologise for inconveniencing them but in reality it is helping them.
"This wasn't an action against them."
Ms Ritchie-Moulin emphasized people were able to leave the site, and said the employee car park wasn't blocked and the protesters were allowing people past.
She said: "This isn't about the people on the site, it is much bigger than that."
Mr Radcliffe, of no fixed abode, said: "The next step is continuing this and trying to keep pressure on the press.
"This was an action based on caring for as many people as possible."
He added it was about "treating everyone as equal".
