Kelley Square protestors

Protestors blocked traffic at Kelley Square Monday. Video was uploaded to YouTube.

(Future Focus Media YouTube.com video)

WORCESTER - Three of four Black Lives Matter protesters charged with blocking Kelley Square last year have been found responsible and ordered to pay a $100 fine.

Julius Jones, Sonya Conner and Robert Blackwell Gibbs were found responsible for the decriminalized charge of disturbing the peace. Kevin Ksen wasn't found responsible.

The four were part of a group of about 40 protesters who blocked traffic in Kelley Square for four and a half minutes last year on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

A judge made his decision after hearing the case in a half-day trial earlier this month.

"This decision has nothing to do with the content of the defendant's speech, with the propose of the protest, or with the merits of their feelings and the importance of their cause. This decision is solely focused on the decision to block the intersection and the adverse impact it had on the public and the serious safety issues that it caused," wrote Judge Robert Pellegrini in his decision.

The charge carries up to a $150 fine.

In the judge's summation of the case, he noted Gibbs' actions jumping on a tractor-trailer truck as it approached the protesters, as well as Conner and Jones' participation in the human chain blocking the road. Ksen was noted to be largely on the sidewalk.

Jones said he'd be appealing Thursday's decision.

"He tried to separate the speech from the action, but you can't separate that," Jones said. "This encapsulated the whole problem. The criminal justice system is broken."

"This whole thing is white backlash," Jones continued. "It's systemic racism that this ended up in the court system."

Although Ksen wasn't found responsible, he was still critical of the verdict.

"We were charged based on the issue being politicized and the chief of police stepping in and saying this is what you need to do," Ksen said. "I'd like to see the chief step down at this point. He bases his decisions on vindictiveness and that's frustrating."

Conner and Gibbs could not immediately be reached for comment.