Four sentenced for part in city centre protests
A BLACK Lives Matter supporter has been jailed along with two more members of a counter-demonstration after they brought scenes of chaos to Newcastle city centre.
Usman Ogiden became the first person from those in favour of the movement to be sentenced after doing acts including throwing a bottle during a large scale disturbance in June 2020.
Christopher Simpson and Christopher Wood, from the opposing side, became the latest to be locked up from their side of the divide in a separate hearing at Newcastle Crown Court.
Meanwhile Daryhs Moore, who “identifies as black” but got involved in the counter-demonstration against Black Lives Matter supporters inadvertently, was given a suspended sentence.
The court heard Ogiden was seen on CCTV at the front of the Black Lives Matter group then dodges police to head towards the counter-protesters.
He got involved in a verbal confrontation with a police inspector and refuses to move away.
The 22-year-old, of Hedgehope Road, Newbiggin Hall, Newcastle, went on to take a bottle from someone else and threw it at the counter-protesters.
Richard Bloomfield, defending, said he attended to support the Black Lives Matter movement and acted out of character. He said he attended a previous, similar event at the Centre for Life, when there was no trouble. Moore, 23,
of Fern Close, Prudhoe, Northumberland, was seen to bend down and pick up a missile and throw it towards the police line. He was also seen pointing and shouting at police horses and pushing through the crowd.
Penny Hall, for Moore, said he was going to town with friends, not to take part in the protest but accepts becoming involved. Judge Edward Bindloss said: “He identifies as black and is more likely to identify with the Black Lives Matter protesters had he been there for political reasons and he didn’t really know what was going on.”
Simpson, 50, of Cedar Road, Fenham, Newcastle, was seen at the Monument around 4pm positioning himself at the front of the crowd while drinking alcohol from a can and appeared drunk. When the group surged towards police, he joined in then threw a can of alcohol over the head of the counterprotesters towards the police.
Mr Bloomfield, who also represented Simpson, said: “He attended out of curiosity to see what was going on. He didn’t go there to fight and he didn’t go there because he is racist.”
Wood, 52, of Malvern Road, Washington, was seen drinking from a can and joining in chanting. He then threw a can at the police, which narrowly missed a female officer.
Tom Bennett, for Wood, said he “deeply regrets his behaviour”.
Ogiden was jailed for 26 months, Moore got two years suspended for two years with 200 hours’ unpaid work, Simpson got 29 months’ prison and Wood got 28 months.