Today, two men accused of scaling a bridge as part of a Just Stop Oil protest that caused widespread disruption to the Dartford Crossing for two days appeared in court. Morgan Trowland, 39, and Marcus Decker, 33, have been remanded in custody after pleading not guilty to committing public nuisance in the alleged stunt at Southend Magistrates’ Court. After drivers were unable to use the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which connects Kent and Essex, the men will now face a jury trial. According to the court, the bridge was blocked when two protesters used climbing equipment to attach themselves to its cables. The two men have been charged in connection with the Dartford Crossing disruption. According to Prosecutor Ruth Becker, the pair began climbing shortly before 4 a.m. on Monday and eventually climbed so high that police negotiators urging them to descend could no longer communicate with them. The pair then allegedly unfurled a Just Stop Oil banner and remained there for nearly 36 hours, ending the alleged protest at 5.38 p.m. on Tuesday. She went on to say that both protesters and emergency responders were put in danger. Trowland, a civil engineer from Islington in north London, and Decker, a musician from no fixed address, appeared in court, speaking to confirm their identities and pleading not guilty to the charge. Shouts of “shame on you” were heard from the public gallery after District Judge Christopher Williams denied both of them bail. The two accused were remanded in custody until a plea and trial preparation hearing on November 17 at Basildon Crown Court.