Cardiff students who vandalised the Main Building fined £3,000 for damages

The six Cardiff University students who vandalised the university's Main Building have been fined for the damage they caused.

Although, Cardiff University have not yet stated how much the overall damage has cost, the six students who are members of the People and Planet organisation, have revealed that the university has fined them £3,000.

The members of the organisation have set up their own Go Fund Me page in order to try and pay off their damages, claiming that they have been "fined for trying protecting the planet".

The page reads: "I and five more students from Cardiff University urgently need your support. Our own University are fining us over £3,000 for a non-violent protest for fossil fuel divestment on campus!

"In March, we spray chalked the entrance hall of our university building demanding they remove their £2m investment in fossil fuel companies. This step was necessary after three years of being ignored despite the support of our Students’ Union and hundreds of students and academics."

The students protested in March for the university to divest from their fossil fuel investments. As part of their protest, they spray painted the pillars inside the Grade II listed university Main Building – marking them bright orange with "divest".

Initially members of the group claimed they had used washable chalk paint only. However, after the university investigated matters, it found that the paint was not easily removable and repairs of up to £10,000 would have to be put in place.

Despite damaging university property, negotiations took place later on in March, and after People and Planet met with Vice-Chancellor Colin Riordan, the university fully divested from fossil fuels.

However, despite protesting for what they are passionate about, People and Planet will now have to pay the price for the damage to the university that they caused.

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