POLICE have charged 26 people following a protest by Extinction Rebellion at newspaper printing presses at Knowsley Business Park on Friday night.
Thirty people had been arrested on suspicion of aggravated trespass after protestors gathered outside the Newsprinters presses on Kitling Road, Knowsley, blocking delivery vans from leaving the site.
Police said a boat and two vans were used to cause obstruction to and from the premises, which is located just off the East Lancs Road.
Some newsagents' shelves were left empty on Saturday morning because of the demonstration.
According to the Press Association, the Newsprinters presses publish the Rupert Murdoch-owned News Corp's titles including The Sun, The Times, The Sun on Sunday and The Sunday Times. They also print titles such as The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph, the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
Merseyside Police said it had since charged 26 people, aged between 19 and 60, following a demonstration at the "News International premises" in Knowsley.
They are due to appear at Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates' Court on January 8 and 13 next year.
Police said all 26 have been granted bail under the condition they do not enter Merseyside or contact any News International employees.
Extinction Rebellion protestors also gathered a Newsprinters press in Hertfordshire on Friday night and Saturday night, where police said they had taken 50 people into custody.
The following people have been charged with aggravated trespass in connection with the Knowsley protest:
William Morgan, 38, of Carfield Avenue, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Neil Traynor, 37, of Mosspark Road, Stretford, Manchester
Stuart Akroyd, 44, of no fixed address
Lydia Dibben, 22, of Woodside Avenue, Burley, Leeds, West Yorkshire
Patrick Fraine, 28, of Groveland Avenue, Hoylake, Wirral
Rhiann Beaumont, 24, of Primrose Farm, Felindre, Brecon, Wales
Joel Instone, 30, of no fixed address
Thomas Dalton, 21, of no fixed address
Mirian Instone, 22, of Spring Close Mount, Sheffield
Peaceful Warrior, 54, of Willow Close, Sleaford, Lincolnshire
Paul Sheeky, 45, of Wellfield Street, Warrington
Gregory Frey, 24 years of no fixed address
Deborah Ehrenberg, 60, of Church Terrace, Sowerby Bridge Halifax, West Yorkshire
Adam Haigh, 21, of no fixed abode
Elizabeth Haughton, 24, of no fixed address
Frances Henderson, 21, of Alan Road, Manchester
Roman Paluch-Machnik, 27, of Cuckoo Dene, Ealing
Lucy Walsh, 24 years of Nunmill Street, York
Meredith Dickenson, 22, of Liverpool Road, Manchester
Hamish Haynes, 46, of Quarry Clough, Stalybridge, Tameside
Joe Irving, 19, of Ambrose Street, York
Harrison Radcliffe, 21, of Shire Oak Road, Leeds
Brendan Taylor, 23, of Leymoor Road, Huddersfield
Patrick Thelwell, 21, of Celtic Road, Meols
Luca Vitale, 22, of Winston Gardens, Headingley, Leeds
Katie Ritchie-Moulin, 21, of Prospect Road, Birmingham
All have been bailed with conditions to Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helens Magistrates' Court in January next year.
The bail conditions sate they must no enter Merseyside. They must also not contact any witness or News International employees by self, servant or agent
Under additional proposals, Parliament, courts and the press could be given special status in regard to the key role they play in democracy, with the potential for police to be handed beefed-up powers to stop demonstrators entering designated areas outside such premises.
"It would be illegal to stop MPs going to vote or judges getting to court and it would also protect a free press," a Government source told PA.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he thought police already had the powers needed to deal with protests.
Speaking to Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, he said: "We always keep all of our laws under review but I think actually the laws are in place to take relevant enforcement action against criminal behaviour."
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