Extinction Rebellion: First group of protesters appear in court over London demonstrations

Police pushing for prosecution of more than 1,000 arrested activists

Twenty-nine climate change protesters have appeared in court over the Extinction Rebellion demonstrations in central London.

The activists, who range in age from 20 and 76, were charged with a public order offence for failing to stay in an allocated area near Marble Arch.

Eight of the defendants pleaded guilty and were given conditional discharges at City of London Magistrates Court.

They included the oldest, 76-year-old Caroline Hunt from Bristol, and one of the youngest, Peter Tyler, 20, from Argyll and Bute, who both admitted the charge relating to the demonstration on Waterloo Bridge.

“It’s beautiful to see everyone here showing such support for the cause,” said protester Simon Kitt, 25, of Newton Abbot, who also pleaded guilty to the same offence.

“It’s been really nice having everyone around and it just shows the depth of the support that this cause really has.”

The remaining 21 defendants all pleaded not guilty and will stand trial in September and October.

More than 1,000 people were arrested over the protest action that brought parts of central London to a standstill in April.

The group’s tactics included asking volunteers to deliberately get arrested to cause maximum disruption at roadblocks on Waterloo Bridge, Oxford Circus and Marble Arch, while others glued themselves to trains and buildings.

So far 232 files of evidence have been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service and 180 have been charged. One has been cautioned for outraging public decency and 32 released with no further action.

The Metropolitan Police said in May that they would push for all the 1,151 people arrested, including Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist Etienne Stott, to face charges.

The hearings took place in two courtrooms simultaneously throughout the day.

The defendants who pleaded guilty were:

• Sonia Santa Maria, 43, of Southwark.
• Peter Tyler, 20, of Argyll and Bute.
• Stephen Eeckelaers, 46, of Newcastle upon Tyne.
• Caroline Hunt, 76, of Bristol.
• Simon Kitt, 25, of Ashburton.
• Ciaran Joseph O’Carroll, 31, of Dublin.
• Mark Steinhardt, 65, of Bedford.
• Georgina Byrom, 45, of Plymouth.

The defendants who pleaded not guilty were:

• Ruth Ben-Tovim, 53, of Totnes in Devon
• Kate Bull, 58, of Gladestry in Powys
• Christine Margaret Freegard, 64, of St Keverne in Cornwall
• Stephen Geoffrey Haynes, 35, of Bristol,
• Zack Lewis-Griffiths, 22, of Tower Hamlets.
• Daniel Morelli, 38, of Bridport in Dorset.
• Sam Slack, 27, of Lambeth.
• Claire Spanner, 52, of Cheltenham.
• Polly Huggett, 36, of Symondsbury.
• Rachel King, 42, of Orpington.
• Tania Leon, 43, of Hemel Hempstead.
• David Lewis, 55, of Carmarthen.
• Jasmine Salter, 26, of Dunbar.
• Virginia Herbert, 71, of Cholsey.
• Alanna Hill, 21, of London.
• Nicholas Hudson, 56, of Warmley, Gloucestershire.
• Peter James King, 64, of Oxfordshire.
• Red Kellino, 52, of Stroud.
• Robert Rivett, 71, of Withycombe in Somerset.
• Susan Caroline Ryall, 66, of Stroud.
• Ted Stokes, 20, of Totnes.

Additional reporting by Press Association