Two Oxford students were convicted of causing criminal damage against the Canadian High Commission in London.
Jake Colman, from St Peters, and Daniel Whitely, from University College, are participants in Thames Valley Climate Action.
The two students, along with Oxford resident Bradley Day, pleaded guilty to the charges. They were given Conditional Discharges, and were ordered to pay £50 in court costs each.
The Judge referred to the protesters as “Three principled young people acting on a course they believed to be important.”
The court heard that on the 15th of December, protestors cut loose the Canadian flag from the Canadian High Commission.
It was then alleged that Whitely super-glued himself to the balcony window, whilst Colman and Day defaced the flag.
The protesters stated that the action was in response to the actions of the Canadian government at the Copenhagen International Climate Summit. They accused Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper of acting in an obstructive manner in order to protect Canada’s Tar Sands Industry.
Tar Sands in Alberta, Canada is criticised by protesters for being highly polluting. Tar Sands has been accused of destroying areas of the Boreal forests and of producing toxic waste.
There have also been accusations that the Canadian government is not respecting the rights of indigenous people in the area.
During the Copenhagen summit, Clayton Thomas-Muller, an activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network stated, “The Canadian government continues to ignore its own laws, which state they must consult with Indigenous Peoples who have been trying to convey concerns about Tar Sands development. Tar Sands are killing our communities and trampling over our rights.”
One protester stated after the action: “This is just the beginning of a UK-based direct action campaign to stop Canadian Tar Sands… We won’t stand by and let these greed driven corporations cause catastrophic environmental and human destruction.”
