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Copenhagen police arrest 68 as protesters rally across city
Organisers said there were between 500 and 1,000 protesters during the first day of serious demonstrations
Police in Copenhagen arrested 68 protesters during the first day of serious demonstrations connected with the UN climate talks.
According to police, 250 activists met in Nytorv Square in the centre of the city at 10am before dispersing to targets including the Danish Energy Association, McDonalds, Deloitte, Repsol, Shell and the shipping company Maersk. Organisers, who had distributed maps to guide protesters, put the number of protesters at between 500 and 1,000.
The activists’ aim was to disperse into smaller groups and disrupt the companies either with noise or by invading their premises. They were then to reconvene outside a green technology exhibition in the centre.
The UN climate talks, which the environment minister, Hilary Benn, referred to today as “without any doubt at all the most important meeting in human history”, involve 192 countries. They aim to decide on greenhouse gas emissions targets to come into force once the Kyoto protocol comes to an end in 2012 and finance to help developing countries adapt to climate change.
Police said the 68 arrests took place at numerous points around the city during the day, but would not release any information about charges. Under laws brought in by the Danish government two weeks ago, the police have the power to detain people who they believe may commit crimes in the near future. One activist who asked not to be named said: “After eight hours [in detention] they have to feed you, so they’ll probably release most of them after seven and a half hours.”
One group of activists was prevented by police from reaching its target, the Hopenhagen exhibition. The protesters were finally penned in on Dronning Louise bridge at around 1.30pm. After negotiating with police, the protesters agreed to leave peacefully.
Despite the arrests, some protesters were upbeat. “It’s been a really good day,” said one activist who called himself Aske. “We’ve been able to control the police and how they moved. They haven’t really had power over us today and I think they’ve come to acknowledge our will to fight.”
On Wednesday, police raided a building in the city in the early hours of the morning where 200 activists were sleeping. The police confiscated a selection of items but did not make any arrests.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/11/copenhagen-police-arrest