A three-hour protest, which brought Nottingham city center to a standstill, has resulted in Four Black Lives Matter activists going to\u00a0trial for highway obstruction under the 1980 Highways Act.<\/p>\n
A man and three women used foam-filled “lock-on devices” to connect\u00a0themselves together before lying across tram lines, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court was told. \u00a0Prosecutor Neill Fawcett said the protest occurred against a\u00a0background of demonstrations following police shootings in the United States.<\/p>\n
“All four defendants accept there was an obstruction of the highway. That it was willful is an agreed fact. \u00a0The issue before the court is whether or not they had lawful excuse.”<\/p>\n
Addressing the judge hearing the case, Mr Fawcett said: “The Crown says that when one looks at the activities of the defendants on that morning, the only conclusion that this court can draw is that what they did amounted to both unreasonable activity and use of the highway.<\/p>\n
Video footage was played to the court, showing the start of the protest and officers using cutting gear to end it. \u00a0 The first witness in the trial, a constable, said the nature of the “lock-on” devices meant the protesters could have freed themselves if they had chosen to.<\/p>\n
The footage also showed protective gear placed on the protesters to ensure their safety during removal of\u00a0the connecting devices.<\/p>\n
The trial continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"