A court previously heard how members of the group bullied Newsnight’s political editor Nicholas Watt during the politically charged incident in Whitehall on June 14, 2021. Crowds have gathered to protest the government’s four-week extension of coronavirus restrictions in England. Djazia Chaib-Eddour, 44, Christopher Aitken, 62, Martin Hockridge, 58, Alexander Peat, 34, and Gary Purnell, 45, denied using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior with intent to use harassment, alarm or anxiety. They stood trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court from June 29 to July 1, while Joseph Olswang, 40, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing. But the guilty plea in all cases was recorded on August 1 and the six will be sentenced on August 30, according to the Metropolitan Police. DC James Harold, the officer on the case, said: “A video of this incident has caused a huge amount of online comment and public concern. The behavior of these people was unacceptable. “Members of the public, of any profession, have the right to go about their day free from verbal harassment or actions that cause them to fear for their safety.”
