News UK window-breakers trial postponed
June 13, 2025 by Extinction Rebellion
The climate protectors accused of breaking the windows at the offices of Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, publishers of tabloid The Sun, had their trial postponed on the day it was due to begin. Southwark Crown Court said they had overbooked and there was not enough court space to hear the trial. Consequently the case was postponed until 16 November 2026 – some four and a half years after the action.
The action was designed to raise the alarm about The Sun and other News UK outlets, such as The Times, suppressing facts about the climate crisis and peddling climate delayism, and was strategically planned to take place on the hottest day ever in the UK.
As the trial was due to start, the alleged window breakers issued strong statements calling out media leaders for their role in the climate emergency.
Tristan Strange, a 42 year old musical instrument designer from Swindon said:
“Rupert Murdoch’s media empire is not informing the public: it’s actively misleading them, deliberately turning the climate crisis – a fundamental question of physics and our shared future – into a divisive issue of values and identity. By downplaying the science and lobbying for fossil fuels, Murdoch’s papers are a destructive force that hinders the urgent action needed to prevent billions facing unimaginable suffering. This action was a wake-up call – we are highlighting the far greater damage done by the lies printed inside these buildings that are stalling climate action and jeopardising all life on Earth.”
Caspar Hughes, a 53 year old eco-auditor from Exeter said:
“Global media leaders stand at the crossroads of humanity’s survival: steer society toward a carbon-negative future or drive us off the cliff of climate collapse. The media have blood on their hands.The UK is awash with disinformation and omission when it comes to the basic facts about climate change. Titles like The Sun, The Times, The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph and GB News are not only keeping their readers dangerously in the dark, but are also running a hostile disinformation campaign designed to slow action on climate change which will kill billions of people and destroy nature. The government needs to step in and reform the press so that everyone gets to hear the truth about the crisis and why we need to take urgent action.”
Of the five people who were due to go on trial for alleged conspiracy to commit criminal damage at the headquarters of News UK (formerly News International) in July 2022, two of them carefully broke windows. The other three flyposted newspaper articles.
In preparation for the trial some of the defendants had taken two weeks off work and incurred travel costs and two weeks of hotel costs. Significant legal costs had also been incurred. Lawyers advised that these costs would likely be unrecoverable unless the defendants are acquitted.
Commenting on the postponement, Extinction Rebellion spokesperson Marijn van de Geer said:
“This seems to have been an administrative failure by a legal system which has been stretched to breaking point. We are gutted that the legal system has prevented us from exposing important issues concerning the role of the press in the climate crisis at this most critical point in human history.”
Caspar Hughes said:
“The biggest barrier to a future where governments take serious action on the climate and nature emergencies is the billionaire media owners. The biggest barrier to a future free of genocide, war and fascism is, the billionaire media owners. Change the media, change the future.”
Since the postponement Caspar has written in The Ecologist about why we need a media revolution:
“I believe in a media system that supports democracy, not undermines it. One that is plural, accountable, and serves the public good.
I believe a better media is not only possible, it is essential. No single reform will be enough. Creating new platforms promoting public interest journalism is good, but it must go hand-in-hand with challenging disinformation and misinformation, changing ownership models, giving regulators genuine power to hold the media and its owners to account, and ensuring they do.
I envision a future that includes a diverse media landscape that reflects society, respects evidence. A media revolution driven by co-operation, responsibility, and strategic change. What we currently have is a media system that pushes the agenda of the billionaire class, to the detriment of virtually everyone else.”
Read more about the original action in the Press Gazette, The Independent, Evening Standard and Mediate.