Newspapers are delayed because Extinction Rebellion blocks printers

Activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) have delayed the distribution of several national newspapers, after blocking access to three printers owned by Rupert Murdoch.

More than 100 protesters attacked the Newsprinters presses in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, Knowsley, Merseyside and near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.

Journalists say that some of the newspapers, which XR accuses of not reporting on climate change, are late.

Thirteen people have been arrested.

The Sun tweeted saying that copies of the newspaper would arrive late to newsstands, adding that it was an “attack on all free press.”

The printers print the headlines of News Corp, owned by Rupert Murdoch, including the Sun, the Times, the Sun on Sunday, the Sunday Times and the Scottish Sun. They also print the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday and the London Evening Standard.

XR used vehicles together with individual protesters who chained themselves to structures to block the roads to the presses.

The vans were covered with banners that included “Unleash the Truth” and “Refugees are welcome here.”

The printers also condemned the protests as an “attack on the entire free press”, which they said had affected workers at their jobs and others, such as newsstands, who faced “financial sanction.”

“Thanks to other industry partners, the impression was transferred to other sites,” he said.

Hertfordshire police said officers were called to Great Eastern Road near the Broxbourne plant around 22:00 BST, where they found about 100 protesters who had “secured themselves to the structures and to each other.”

‘National polluting debate’

As of 06:00 BST, 13 arrests had been made and the police expected more to follow, but the delivery trucks had not yet been able to leave the scene to distribute papers.

Merseyside Police tweeted on Saturday morning, officers were still at the Knowsley plant.

XR has accused the newspapers and their owners of “not reporting on the climate and ecological emergency” and “polluting the national debate” on dozens of social issues.

The group has planned 10 days of action and demanded the government to declare a climate and ecological emergency.

On Thursday, more than 300 people were arrested during the protests in central London.

Meanwhile, climate change protesters have been warned that they risk heavy fines if they fail to comply with coronavirus rules that prohibit gatherings of more than 30 people.

A procession of activists that left Brighton on foot a week ago is due to march the final leg to Parliament later.

The Metropolitan Police said risk assessments of the Westminster march “did not meet the required standard” and prohibited XR from taking a 20-foot model ship named after teenage activist Greta Thunberg onto the streets of Westminster.