Name: Gemma Barnes
Location: Norwich, Norfolk
Affiliations: Norwich Sabs
Accusations of theft
Gemma Barnes is an infamous animal rights activist based in Norwich, whose impassioned activism has veered over into criminal behaviour.
On 11 April 2023, Barnes took to social media to post an array of images showing herself posing with lambs and claiming that they had been “liberated”. Following this, Barnes was then accused of illegally stealing a lamb and causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. Subsequently, she was remanded in custody and granted bail on 23 May.
Barnes has since refused to say where the lambs were taken from or where they are now. Separating them from their mothers, however, would have caused extreme distress, the court was told.
Witness harassment charges
On 23 May, only minutes after being granted bail at Norwich Crown Court, Barnes immediately went to an animal rights protest at Norwich Livestock Market together with fellow activist Elenor Kenny from Wymondham. Thereafter, the pair were accused of intimidating police officers in a separate case of harassment.
Barnes and Kennedy were accused of harassing two police officers who were tasked with managing the protest. The pair took videos and photos of the officers and posted them on social media without consent. Crown prosecutor Nishma Shah later told a court that both were “heavily involved” with Animal Rebellion protests (with prior accusations) and are known to target opponents by posting about them on social media.
Barnes was remanded in custody again at Norwich Magistrates Court on 26 May, where she was due to remain until a court hearing on 23 June. However, after a week behind bars she successfully applied to be released on bail at a hearing on 2 June .
In a private message to Behind The Masks on 27 Septembet 2024, Barnes claimed she had been cleared of the charge of witness intimidation with regards - in her own words - "to those two mouth-breathing thick as shit coppers".
Criminal Damage
On 15 October 2022, the Animal Rebellion group co-ordinated nationwide illegal protest action in stores including Waitrose, Whole Foods, and Marks & Spencer. Protests kicked off shortly before midday on the Saturday.
Barnes gladly took up the lead in Norwich. At the Rampant Horse Street M&S store, at 11.45am, two activists - one being Barnes - took bottles of milk from the shelves and emptied them over the floor and meat counter to highlight "the need to support farmers in a transition to a sustainable, plant-based food system".
In May 2023, Barnes was given a conditional discharge for criminal damage for her part in the milk-pouring protest.
Contempt of court accusation
At another court hearing on 11 August, Barnes was accused of being in contempt of court. At the hearing, it is alleged she swore at a prosecution barrister at Norwich Crown Court, branding him an “a***hole” in the corridor.
Consequently, she was summoned to court once again on 15 November. Chris Youell, the crown’s prosecutor, said that Barnes made the remark “in the vicinity” of prosecution barrister Jude Durr. He further said that Barnes accepted she "may well have said these words and if she did, she regrets it”.
Barnes told Behind The Masks on 27 September 2024 that this allegation was "a total non-starter".
Fringe beliefs
Across her social media accounts, Barnes promotes a veritable word-salad of ill-conceived, fringe political views. These include: antinatalism (the belief that the human race should no longer procreate), ACAB (all cops are b*stards), and the anti-work movement.
