By Alanna Rizza
Two Ryerson students say they were arrested yesterday on Parliament Hill while protesting the Kinder Morgan pipeline construction.
The students are third-year environment and urban sustainability student Emma Beattie and second-year public relations student Ben Donato-Woodger. Both are members of Divest Ryerson, a campaign calling on the university to commit to divesting from the fossil fuel industry.
They joined almost 100 people across Canada calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to reject the Kinder Morgan pipeline construction that would run from the Alberta tar sands to the west coast.
“Our key message was climate leaders don’t build pipelines. We are afraid Trudeau will fast track the Kinder Morgan pipeline in B.C.,” said Donato-Woodger.
He said that himself and Beattie were protesting for about 5 hours before they were arrested along with other protesters. Donato-Woodger said police set up a temporary processing tent because of the large number of arrests.
Donato-Woodger said he was in police custody for about an hour and a half. He said himself and Beattie were given a notice of trespassing. He said that they cannot go to Parliament Hill for three months.
“Civil disobedience is not our first option, but it has become our only one to make our government’s policy align with climate science.”
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