A key organiser of the King’s College Climate Emergency campaign group, Roger Hallam, was arrested yesterday (Wednesday the 22nd of February) whilst protesting the college’s investments in the fossil fuel industry and calling on the college to divest immediately. After spending a night in detention, he was taken to court where he pleaded guilty and was charged with a £500 fine.

The arrest comes after a string of demonstrations, and is the second time the protesters have faced arrest.

Hallam, a student at King’s College, was continuing the group’s policy of using easily-washable poster paint to write slogans on the walls of the college. After the college summoned police forces, the arrest was made on grounds of criminal damage.

The protest was the fifth in a succession of actions organised by the group. The first protest was staged on the 19th of January 2017 as students and campaigners gathered to spray paint slogans onto the buildings in eco-friendly chalk spray. This protest was repeated inside KCL buildings on the 1st of February. The police were called, and Hallam and a fellow protestor were arrested, though soon released without charge.

Hallam was immediately suspended and banned from College grounds, but again the sanctions were soon lifted.

The third action, on the 9th of February, saw no arrests despite police presence. Many students, however, subsequently received letters informing them that they will be suspended from their studies if they participate in any similar protests in the future.

By the time of the fourth action, on the 16th of February, the protest had gathered significant national attention and support. The Green Party wrote an open letter to KCL’s Principal Edward Byrne in which they registered alarm at the unusually heavy handed response from the college, and noted that a survey had found that 96% of KCL students are in favour of divestment.  

A King’s College London spokesperson said: “King’s College London recognises the rights of our students to campaign for change through peaceful protest, though we do not accept that damaging the university’s historic Grade I listed buildings at a cost of £15,000 is an effective way to achieve this. 

“The university has successfully engaged with students since November 2014 on the issue of climate change, and following this a policy was agreed by our governing Council in September 2016.

“This Policy was supported by the Fossil Free KCL campaign and will see the university reducing investments in companies involved in the ‘dirtiest’ fuels like tar sands oil and thermal coal and move towards opportunities to support low carbon alternatives.

“We have also chosen to reduce our own emissions by 43%, invest 15% in funds that have an explicit social and environmental benefit, including zero carbon alternatives to fossil fuels, and to exit funds that invest in tobacco, coal and heavy oil.”

In an official statement King’s College Climate Emergency declared that: “King’s College are complicit in causing global warming, which will, within the foreseeable future, cause enormous human suffering as famine, flooding and extreme weather destroy lives, families and communities.

“Token measures, like those listed by King’s College management, are not good enough. Too many lives are at stake. Only full divestment can prove that King’s stands for life, not death.

“It is hypocritical of management to say they ‘recognise the right of students to campaign’ and at the same time call the police to arrest and charge students.

“We call on Kings to stop ruining their reputation with their haphazard repression of legitimate student protest and instead meet with campaigners to agree a schedule of divestment.”

King’s College Climate Emergency are organising a further public demonstration outside KCL on Saturday the 4th of March at 11a.m. For more information please visit the event’s Facebook page.