The protesters blocked the traffic at junction 3 of the highway. Some stuck themselves on the tarmac, while another got stuck in a police car. Nine of the activists admitted the allegations in connection with the protest, either by mail or in person, in Crawley’s court on Tuesday. Mary Adams, 68, Ian Bates, 63, Karen Matthews, 60, Margurite Doubleday, 67, Bethany Mogie, 39, Xavier Gonzalez-Trimmer, 21 and Lucy Crawford, 52, each pleaded guilty to intentional obstruction of free passage. Biff Whipster, a 54-year-old man from Canterbury, pleaded guilty to felony criminal mischief for leaving a “crust of glue” on a police car window during a protest rally. Bates, Matthews and Whipster were informed by District Judge Stephen Leake that they were “inspiring” him after making passionate speeches about their climate concerns while representing themselves in court. Leake said: “I have been inspired and I personally intend to do what I can to reduce my impact on the planet, so at this point your voices are definitely heard,” he added, adding: “I have heard your voices.” Although he said their actions were inspiring, Leake added that his role was to “enforce the law” and said their actions had caused “significant disruption” to the highway. “These are difficult cases for us judges because we have to enforce the law and that is what we have sworn to do.” The court heard that the action disrupted about 18,000 vehicles in the area, including an ambulance transporting a patient who “urgently needed to be transported,” according to Highway data. Protesters who attended the court on Monday, all of whom sat in public galleries throughout the hearing, claimed to have exhausted all other means of campaigning for the climate crisis and resorted to “non-violent protest” to stress their purpose. A member of the court staff passed handkerchiefs as many burst into tears and held their faces in their hands, while other activists expressed fears of a “desperate” environmental situation. The judge said the protesters “had no doubt” acted in a way they believed was “morally correct”, but had still committed a criminal offense. The 12 protesters received fines ranging between 120 and 400 pounds. Three other protesters, Victoria Lindsell and Michelle Charlesworth, each charged with one count of intentional obstruction, and Louis McKechnie, charged with felony criminal mischief, were adjourned to Crawley Court on April 28.
