Climate change activists block UK distribution of Murdoch's newspapers

Extinction Rebellion activists block the Boxbourne press at dawn this Saturday EXTINCTION REBELLION UK / Reuters

Various groups of activists against climate change from the

organization

have

culminated

a week of scheduled protests across the UK with a direct attack on the interests of media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

During the night of Friday and the early hours of this Saturday, dozens of protesters blocked the access roads to two of the main New Corp presses, the publisher of newspapers such as

,

and

with cars and bamboo structures.

The trucks that distribute

The specimens could not leave the facilities that the company has in the towns of Broxbourne and Knowsley for hours.

Both centers print most of the copies of Murdoch's newspapers, but also other newspapers such as the Financial Times or

.

“Our performance last night has achieved one less day of disinformation, division and hatred.

For one night, ordinary people - terrified by the climatic and ecological emergency that so many of our media are not reporting sufficiently - have managed to make these powerful and undemocratic corporations feel in their skin the vulnerability that they suffer from day to day " , the

movement has stated

in a public statement.

Police have arrested 13 activists overnight.

News Corp managed to divert much of the printing to other competing presses and print much of its newspapers, but distribution has suffered a considerable delay and many newsstands have dawned this Saturday without copies for sale.

The company has apologized to its readers and newsstands.

“This attack against the entire free press has affected many workers.

To the nighttime employees of the presses, to the drivers who carry out the distribution, and to all those involved in the wholesaling process and at the kiosks.

All have suffered delays and face possible sanctions, and we demand the intervention of the police and the Ministry of the Interior, ”said a spokesman for the media company.

For the first time in a long time,

has not captured the sympathy of a public opinion that has failed to understand the ultimate meaning of its boycott.

“This morning, across the country, many people were unable to read your newspaper due to the actions of

.

This attack against the free press, society and democracy is completely unacceptable ”, has denounced the Minister of the Interior, Priti Patel, in her account of the social network Twitter.

“This is something very worrying, and I don't really understand what they were going to achieve with this action.

For many readers, especially the elderly, that their newspaper arrives every morning is part of their daily life, and I think that what they have done is not correct, "said Emily Thornberry, the Labor spokeswoman for International Trade, to the chain of Murdoch radio,

The activists have chosen the rule of the almighty Rupert Murdoch as one of their priority targets and blame the editorial line of their media for the government's inaction in the fight against climate change.

“To Murdoch we want to say something: we do not apologize for boycotting your businesses.

Stop hiding the truth about the climate crisis and obtaining benefits at the cost of the divisions you cause with your newspapers, ”the organization says in its statement.

Extinction Rebellion

has paralyzed some of the main arteries of London and other major cities in the UK for most of the weeks, and will conclude with a protest the long walk of many activists from Brighton to the British capital, to protest in front of Parliament , in Westminster.

In recent months, tension has grown between the various organizations that support the campaign.

The main officials have tried to highlight their alleged lack of political bias with harsh accusations against other movements such as the Communist Youth of the United Kingdom or the followers of

.

One of the leaders of

, Rupert Read, said last Friday that "parasitic" groups on the far left were trying to take advantage of protests against climate change to advance their own causes.