2009-12-15

How will you defend democratic rights for climate activists during the rest of COP15?

Invitation

to all political parties in the Danish parliament and Head of the Police Per Larsen
Time: 7.00 PM (19:00), December 15
Place: DGI-byen, Blue Hall

Wahu Kaara from Kenya Debt Relief Network, Juan N. Rojas, Permaculture Institute of El Salvador, Paul Quintos, Phillipines, People’s Movement on Climate Change (PMCC)/IBON, together with other people from Africa, Asia and Latin America as well as Northern countries will put questions concerning democratic rights of climate demonstrators during the rest of COP15. On the 16th of December a Reclaim power manifestation for Climate Justice will take place by having people on the inside coming out to meet people coming from the outside according to a strict non-violent civil disobedience code of conduct. The goal is to establish a People's Assembly to promote the opinion for climate justice from those that have not been heard. This in a time when conflicts between impoverished countries and rich countries are becoming stronger than in many decades while mass movements representing the majority of people burdened by debt or making their living out of agriculture are present in Copenhagen.

There are strong concerns among EU and non EU citiziens after the arbritrary mass arrests and degrading treatment as well as earlier threats of becoming immediatly deported for minor offences or no offence at all accept for forgetting a pass port where one is staying. The new law in Denmark directed against non-violent civil disobedience and any demonstrator is by many considered a threat to the right of expressing oneself. The new law have already shown itself to cause arbritrary mass arrests. How will political parties and the police act for the rest of COP15 to avoid the escalation that arbritrary mass arrests and other disproportionate police actions creates?

We Danish organizations that have arranged this meeting sees a need in Danish political parties commiting themselves to protect the democratic rights of climate activists. At the EU-Summit in 2002 two Danish parties did this by acting as parliamentary shields to help activists across the border and at demonstrations. A non-violent action was carried out at the Bella center without escalation of violence occuring in the confrontation with the police. When the demonstrators were able to push through the police line they stopped,made a political statement and went back again. This time the difference is that people will come out from the inside also. Inside the Bella Center there are not only rich countries but also impoverished. Thus it is fully understandable that people from all different parts of the world wants to establish a People's Assembly with delegates from those on the inside that are not privileged.

We Danish organisations sees a need in that all democratic parties now states openly that they are willing to become democratic shields at mass activities as in 2002 protecting rights of every person regardless were they come from to be heard in a matter that concerns the future of humanity. We want to give participants from all over the world the chance to discuss directly with parliamentary parties and the police about their and our concern about how their right to express themselves will be defended.

Morten Hansson, Attac Denmark tel 0045 22 45 89 67

Source: email