Climate protesters vow further action despite breach of the peace conviction

Climate activists who glued themselves to a road during an international cycle race vowed to take further action after being convicted of breach of the peace.

Catriona Roberts, 21, Ben Taylor, 29, Romane Moulin, 26, and Rebecca Kerr, 29, were all found guilty of breach of the peace after they accessed the route of the UCI world cycling championships near the Carron Valley Reservoir on the B818.

They discharged powder cannons, sat on the roadway and blocked the race, chained themselves together, glued themselves to the road and refused to leave, resulting in the race being halted.

The protesters are members of the climate change action group This Is Rigged.

But Sheriff McCulloch admonished Roberts, Moulin and Kerr as first-time offenders.

Taylor, however, was fined £250 to be paid back at the rate of £20 per month.

In the day-long trial at Falkirk Sheriff Court on Wednesday, Roberts, Taylor and Moulin appeared without solicitors and represented themselves throughout proceedings.

Giving evidence for the crown, police witnesses Pc Angus McKinnon, sergeant Louise Beale and Pc Gregor Malcolm told the court about the events that took place on August 6.

The men’s elite race for the UCI world cycling championships was taking place between Edinburgh and Glasgow and passed along the B818 in Stirlingshire.

Pc McKinnon told the court how he saw four people hiding in bushes close to the B818 before 11am on the day of the race.

He was asked by fiscal depute Bernadette Cuthbertson if he noticed anything about them.

Pc McKinnon said: “The way they were dressed, they looked a bit dishevelled. Almost like they had been sleeping rough.”

He described how the four activists had chained themselves to each other with bike locks and glued themselves to the road with superglue.

Sergeant Beale and Pc Malcolm were experts in protest removal and had been called to the scene to assist other officers.

Acting on behalf of Kerr, lawyer Sandy O’Gill told the court the accused had no case to answer and that their actions did not raise the sufficient levels of alarm and fear for a charge of breach of the peace.

Mr O’Gill argued the protests were peaceful.

Later the court heard evidence from Roberts, Taylor and Moulin in their defence.

Roberts said: “If your house is on fire and you scream in the street, stop the traffic and become rooted in fear, would you be arrested for breach of the peace? No, of course not.

“Well, our home is on fire, and just because you may be privileged enough to not feel it yet, does not mean we shouldn’t be screaming in the streets.”

Taylor told the court that suffragettes undertook extreme actions in order to promote their cause, but Sheriff McCullough responded and said many of those who took extreme actions were convicted, adding: “Nobody was ever acquitted on an argument of we need to do something now.”

Sheriff McCulloch convicted all four protesters with breach of the peace – but he admonished Roberts, Moulin and Kerr on the basis that they were first-time offenders.

He told the court he understood why protesters had taken the action that they had, and that some members of the public may have been on their side, but he said there were also some members of the public who did not believe their actions had a place in a democracy.

Taylor was fined £250 with a victim surcharge of £20 due to his actions.

Taylor also had convictions for similar actions across the country – with outstanding fines to pay and further unpaid hours to complete.

Being admonished is a sure fire signal that we were not seen to be committing a violent offence

Sheriff McCulloch offered Taylor the choice of whether he paid the fine or the unpaid hours.

Speaking to the media outside the court after proceedings had concluded, Roberts said the group planned more activities and more action over the cost-of-living crisis and the ongoing climate crisis.

She said the group were prepared and that the experience in court did not put them off.

Roberts added: “In the future, we will be taking action on the appalling rates of food insecurity and the cost-of-living crisis.

“In admonishing me and my co-defendants today, the Sheriff has acknowledged that breach of the peace is not equipped to deal with the morality of protest cases and that the law is not always on the right side of history.

“Being admonished is a sure fire signal that we were not seen to be committing a violent offence.”