More than 100 Extinction Rebellion (XR) protesters used vehicles and bamboo lock-ons to block roads outside the Newsprinters printing works across the UK in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool on Friday.
Hertfordshire Police said delivery lorries had not left the Broxbourne site as of 6am on Saturday, with 13 arrests made and more expected.
The Newsprinters presses publish the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp’s titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times, as well as The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, and the London Evening Standard.
We apologise to readers who may be unable to buy their usual newspaper this morning.
Overnight printing of The Times was disrupted by Extinction Rebellion — alongside other newspapers.
We are working to get newspapers delivered to retailers as soon as possible.— The Times (@thetimes) September 5, 2020
Newsprinters condemned the protests as an “attack on all of the free press” which had affected workers going about their jobs and others such as newsagents who face “financial penalty”.
The company said it had transferred printing to other sites, but that delays would occur in some deliveries of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times.
BREAKING: Extinction Rebellion blocks News Corps Printworks and demands they FREE THE TRUTH
As the printing presses crank up, #ExtinctionRebellion groups in North London and Liverpool are taking on the titans of the media industry.#FreeTheTruth #WeWantToLive #ChangeIsNow pic.twitter.com/43KYPIvWXdAdvertisement— Extinction Rebellion UK 🌍 (@XRebellionUK) September 4, 2020
Under a banner reading “Free the truth”, XR tweeted that it was using the disruption to expose the newspapers’ “failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of truth to suit their own agendas”.
The group said it was planning to block routes out of the printing works throughout the night.
“Coverage in many of the newspapers printed here is polluting national debate on climate change, immigration policy, the rights and treatment of minority groups, and on dozens of other issues,” the group said.
THIS IS NOT THE STORY
We are using disruption to expose their failure to report on the climate & ecological emergency, and their consistent manipulation of truth to suit their own agendas.
FREE THE TRUTH#TellTheTruth #WeWantToLive #ExtinctionRebellionAdvertisement— Extinction Rebellion UK 🌍 (@XRebellionUK) September 4, 2020
Hertfordshire Police assistant chief constable Owen Weatherill said officers were “working to facilitate the rights of both the protesters and those affected by their presence” but protesters were not co-operating.
⚠️ We remain in Great Eastern Road, #WalthamCross, after receiving a call at around 10pm last night (Friday 4 September) reporting a protest. 13 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. More info: https://t.co/PlJUwmrKs4 pic.twitter.com/nHzAS3oN2D
— Herts Police (@HertsPolice) September 5, 2020
“The rights to protest are well established in this country and we remain committed to facilitating peaceful protest and ensuring compliance,” he said in a statement.
“However, at this time, the group are not engaging with us and the protest is causing major disruption to local businesses.
“At this time, 13 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, and we anticipate more arrests will be made.
“I’d like to reassure you that we are doing all we can to bring the incident to a peaceful conclusion, ensuring minimum disruption to the affected businesses.”
Merseyside Police tweeted on Saturday morning that officers were still in attendance at the Knowsley plant.
A spokesman for Newsprinters said in a statement: “This attack on all of the free press impacted many workers going about their jobs. Overnight print workers, delivery drivers, wholesale workers and retail newsagents have faced delays and financial penalty. This is a matter for the police and the Home Office.
“Thanks to other industry partners, printing was transferred to other sites.
“We apologise sincerely to any readers of The Sun, The Times, the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times who may be unable to buy their usual newspaper this morning due to late deliveries.”
XR protesters also held a smaller demonstration near Motherwell aimed at disrupting the distribution of Saturday’s Scottish Sun newspaper.
Breaking: Activists from Extinction Rebellion Glasgow are also holding a protest at Newsprinters, Eurocentral in Holytown near Motherwell to disrupt the distribution of @ScottishSun newspapers tomorrow. #FreeTheTruth #ExtinctionRebellion pic.twitter.com/uFgqpkp8w3
— Extinction Rebellion UK 🌍 (@XRebellionUK) September 4, 2020
Meanwhile, climate change protesters have been warned they risk a large fine if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules banning gatherings of more than 30 people.
The Met Police said risk assessments explaining how XR activists were minimising the possibility of Covid-19 transmission at a planned march in Westminster “did not meet the required standard”.
The force said XR’s latest round of demonstrations “pose a risk, not only to those involved, but to the wider public and communities of London”.
