Over the weekend, Extinction Rebellion protesters blocked roads leading to and from printing presses in Hertsfordshire and Merseyside, delaying the delivery of millions of newspapers to UK shops. Protesters specifically targeted the Newsprinters presses, which print papers such as The Sun and The Times - both owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.
In addition, copies of The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Evening Standard and some Guardian issues were also delayed.
Now, the government is seeking to reclassify Extinction Rebellion and toughen restrictions on where protesters can legally hold demonstrations, The Telegraph claims.
A government source told the paper: “It’s clear they’re not your normal protest group, so you have to look at them in a different way.”
It is not clear how the government would reclassify Extinction Rebellion or what this would mean for the group.
However, it is understood ministers are looking at granting police new powers to prevent protesters from disrupting “tenets of democracy” such as parliament votes and press distribution.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change.
“It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public’ access to news in this way.”
Extinction Rebellion responded via one of its Twitter accounts.
The Extinction Rebellion protests – dubbed the “We Want to Live” demonstrations – are due to be held until September 14 having started on the 1st.
The central action will involve activists sitting in the road outside of Parliament to “maintain a constant presence” until minister pass The Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEE).
In January this year, it was claimed counter-terrorism police had included Extinction Rebellion in a list of extremist ideologies.
Police then recalled this decision and said the group was not extremist, according to the Guardian.
The CEE bill was tabled last Wednesday. It will aim to ensure the UK meets its responsibilities under the UN 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
This will mean sharply cutting the UK’s carbon emissions in order to keep global temperatures within 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels, according to Green World.
Bolton residents have been told not to mix with people from other households after the town's coronavirus infection rate became the highest in England.
The rules apply to meetings indoors and outdoors, unless a person is part of a support bubble, Bolton Council said.
To help slow the spread of COVID-19, the council has said public transport should only be used for essential travel, including getting to work, school, or a medical appointment.
Bolton is the worst-affected area in the country, with a weekly infection rate of 99 cases per 100,000 people, overtaking Pendle (71.1), Oldham (55.6) and Blackburn with Darwen (48.3).
More than 90% of cases in the town are people aged between 18 and 49-years-old, and council bosses are urging young people in particular to adhere to the new coronavirus rules.
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Council leader David Greenhalgh said the measures have been brought in after consultation with Public Health England.
He said: "Now, more than ever, we need everyone in Bolton to play their part.
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"Nobody wants these restrictions to remain a moment longer than necessary and we believe these new measures will keep everyone safe and help avoid a full lockdown in Bolton.
"Alongside a range of additional measures and interventions across Bolton we are asking everyone, particularly the younger age groups, to continue to follow the guidelines."
Dr Helen Lowey, director of public health at Bolton Council, added: "Evidence from Oldham and Blackburn shows stopping households mixing works.
"For this to work, we all need to play our part to protect our vulnerable friends and relatives."
Some other parts of Greater Manchester will see restrictions eased on Tuesday after case rates fell low enough to justify lifting lockdown measures.
Casinos, bowling alleys, indoor play areas and conference centres will be able to reopen, and close-contact beauty services will be able to resume, but cases in Bolton are still too high, the Department of Health and Social Care said this week.
Restrictions are also being lifted next week in Leicester, West Yorkshire and Lancashire, which have also all been on the government's watch list.
Part of Manchester's city centre was evacuated and cordoned off after a 'suspicious package' was found on a bus, police said.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that they were called to reports that a 'suspicious item' was found on a bus at 1.15pm today.
Piccadilly Gardens was sealed off and several surrounding roads were closed as a cordon was put in place.
Officers were in attendance and the bus was evacuated as a precaution, the force said in a statement.
Around three hours later, the cordon was reportedly lifted and Piccadilly Gardens was reopened.
Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester was evacuated earlier today after a 'suspicious package' was found on a bus, police confirmed
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that they were called to reports that a 'suspicious item' was found on a bus at 1.15pm today
A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: 'Police are currently responding to an incident in the city centre.
'The bus has been evacuated as a precaution and a cordon remains in place.
'Enquiries are ongoing.'
Manchester and Wigan Stagecoach also confirmed that services that normally use Piccadilly Gardens bus station on Parker Street were diverted.
They said: 'All services that would normally use Parker Street (Piccadilly Gardens bus station) will start the routes from Portland Street (Outside Yates). The services will operate on a load and go basis.
'This is due to a Police incident. Sorry if this affects your journey with us today.
Just after 4pm, they confirmed that Piccadilly Gardens Bus Station had reopened with services operating from 'normal stands'.
Metrolink services were temporarily suspended through Piccadilly or Market Street, Manchester Metrolink said.
Transport for Greater Manchester said earlier on Twitter: 'Due to a Police Incident Parker Street, Piccadilly is closed.
'Congestion expected on Portland St, please use an alternative route if possible.'
Around three hours later, the cordon was lifted and Piccadilly Gardens was reopened
Manchester councillor Pat Karney wrote on Twitter that crowds had 'been pushed back from Piccadilly' while four ambulances were among emergency services in attendance
Pictures and videos of the scene were shared on Twitter, including a number of posts from Manchester councillor Pat Karney.
He said that crowds were 'pushed back from Piccadilly' while four ambulances and a helicopter were among emergency services at the scene.
Councillor Pat Karney said: 'There are four ambulances, numerous police vehicles, a helicopter. All the emergency services. It's a major incident.
'The bus station is cordoned off and all the shops have been emptied. People can't cross Piccadilly so there's a big crowd on Minshull Street.
'The crowds are being pushed back, they are obviously taking every precaution.'
Mr Karney has since thanked the emergency services for 'keeping Manchester safe' in the incident.
He wrote on Twitter: 'Emergency Services leaving the area.
'People inconvenienced will debate the close down of the area but I want to thank all our Emergency Services Officers for keeping Manchester safe.
'Giving what has happened in our city we cannot take any risks.'
Officers are in attendance and several roads have been closed with a cordon remaining in place
Transport for Greater Manchester said that Piccadilly has closed following the incident. No buses or Metrolink services are operating in the area
Police had urged people to avoid the area while the incident was ongoing.
Manchester mayor Andy Burnham reassured people that the incident was getting 'all the attention it needs'.
He told BBC North West: 'There are experts on the scene. Until the package has been properly accessed, of course, we will have to keep the road closures in place. It is an ongoing incident, there is not a great deal more I can say at this moment in time.
'But people can be reassured that it is getting all the attention it needs, people are working quickly to resolve it. What I would say to people is obviously to avoid the area for the time-being.'
An eyewitness reportedly told Manchester Evening News: 'The tram stop was cordoned off - there was police tape everywhere. Piccadilly Gardens has been evacuated - mounted police are guarding the scene.'
One person on Twitter added that the cordon had 'blocked off' the roads from Piccadilly Gardens down to Yates.
More than 70 people have been arrested following protests by climate activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) outside two printing presses - which prevented the distribution of millions of national newspapers.
Demonstrators blocked access to two print works at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, and Knowsley, near Liverpool, using vehicles and bamboo lock-ons this morning.
Seventy-two people were arrested across the two locations, police said, and delivery lorries were delayed from leaving.
Image:The move left newspaper stands devoid of some papers on Saturday morning
Image:Police and firefighters dealt with the protest outside the Newsprinters works in Hertfordshire
The Newsprinters presses print the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp's titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun On Sunday and The Sunday Times.
The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday, the London Evening Standard and some Guardian supplements are also printed or processed at the sites.
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Both demonstrations ended around 11am.
The Telegraph says it has made its website free this weekend after the protests.
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A statement said: "Production of The Telegraph titles was severely affected.
"Following the assault on the free press, we have made the decision that all the Telegraph journalism published this weekend is now free to read on our website until Monday morning and removed the paywall until then."
The Times apologised to readers in a tweet, saying this morning that it was "working to get newspapers delivered to retailers as soon as possible".
The action meant that hundreds of thousands of people who would normally get The Sun were unable to read an interview with Sir David Attenborough in which he explains why he supports Extinction Rebellion and what Sun readers can do to help reduce climate change.
Newsprinters said it moved the work elsewhere but apologised to newspaper readers affected by the delay.
Image:The Newsprinters presses print titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun On Sunday and The Sunday Times. Pic: Extinction Rebellion
Image:Vans were blocked from accessing the site
A spokesperson said: "Overnight printing at two Newsprinters plants was disrupted by activity by Extinction Rebellion. Thanks to other industry partners, printing was transferred to other sites...
"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."
That sentiment was echoed by Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel, who both called XR's actions "completely unacceptable".
A free press is vital in holding the government and other powerful institutions to account on issues critical for the future of our country, including the fight against climate change.
It is completely unacceptable to seek to limit the public’s access to news in this way.
Meanwhile, Labour MP and former shadow cabinet member Dawn Butler initially tweeted in support of the protesters, but later deleted the post.
Her comment - "Bravo #Extinction Rebellion. Excellent work" - was criticised by other Twitter users, with Labour ex-cabinet minister Andrew Adonis saying: "I utterly disagree with this."
It comes after several days of disruption across London by the group, in a bid to highlight the climate crisis.
Protesters also gathered at another site in Motherwell, but Police Scotland say they were moved on with no arrests made.
Today, the campaign group completed their walk from Brighton to London with their boat "Lightship Greta", named after teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg.
A procession is due to take place in central London, upon which Met Police have imposed a number of strict conditions.
XR claim the "mainstream media" is controlled by a small number of people, and that news corporations are guilty of "consistent manipulation of the truth to suit their own personal and political agendas".
The group that targeted printers in Hertfordshire put up bamboo structures around the entrance, preventing access to the site.
Image:Deliveries were delayed as a result of the protest
A Sky News producer at the scene said there were lines of vans queued up along the road to the site, waiting to collect newspapers.
Hertfordshire Police said: "Our officers are engaging with the group, which consists of around 100 people, and we are working to facilitate the rights of both the protesters and those affected by their presence."
In a tweet, the force said it had made 42 arrests.
Merseyside Police said 30 arrests had been made there. "Two vans and a boat used to cause obstruction" were removed, a spokesman added.
Extinction Rebellion activist Gully Bujak, 27, said: "You cannot have a functioning democracy with a mainstream media that is ruled by a small, unrepresentative sect of society, who are in bed with politicians and the fossil fuel industry.
"The climate emergency is an existential threat to humanity. Instead of publishing this on the front page every day as it deserves, much of our media ignores the issue and some actively sow seeds of climate denial.
"They thrive off of polarisation and division. They sow hatred in order to distract us, actively profiting from this division.
"To these papers we say this: you will not come between us anymore. For a night we're going to filter out the lies and take the power back. For a night we're going to show the world that you are vulnerable, just like us."
