Three Fined For Extinction Rebellion Protest

Three people have been fined for their parts in an Extinction Rebellion protest at a research company in Cambridge.

Jamie Goodland, Annie Hoyle, and Christopher Ford were among a group of about 12 protestors who targeted Schlumberger Cambridge Research, in Charles Babbage Road, on 14 and 15 March last year.

The protest began at about 6am on 14 March when the front of the building was blocked with a large wooden tower structure.

Meanwhile, the rear entrance was blocked with a large pink boat and a metal tripod, and a padlock was placed on a gate.

Some of protestors climbed on top of the makeshift structures while others laid on the ground.

On 15 March, police asked the protestors to leave under Section 69 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994.

Goodland, 33, of Vicarage Close, Swaffham Bulbeck, Hoyle, 29, of Fair Street, Cambridge, and Ford, 45, of Carlton Way, Cambridge, refused to comply and were arrested.

Ford also caused criminal damage to a fence with pink paint. Police seized the pink boat, tripod, lock-on devices and a pink bridge structure.

All three denied the charges against them but Ford was found guilty of criminal damage as well as Section 68 and 69 public order offences; Goodland was found guilty of criminal damage; and Hoyle was found guilty of a Section 68 public order offence.

On Wednesday (8 February) at Cambridge Magistrates' Court, Ford and Goodland each received fines totalling £200 while Hoyle was fined a total of £600. All received 12-month conditional discharges.

The court made a Deprivation Order relating to the pink boat, paint, and structures seized by police.

Chief Inspector Paul Ormerod said: “We recognize the importance of the right to protest but it must be within the law.

“These protestors were warned multiple times that their actions were disrupting the lawful activity of a business, but they chose to ignore police officers.

“We will continue to balance the right of people to protest with the right of people to go about their lawful work.”