2002-07-02
Danish anti-globalisation activists are threatening actions and demonstrations at the Danish-German border if Danish police refuse international activists access to Denmark during the planned European Union summit meeting in Copenhagen in December, reports the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten.
The threat from activists in Denmark co-insides with the Danish police warning that it will react decisively to acts of civil disobedience, a preferred method of demonstration by the anti- globalisation movement.
"Civil disobedience is the source of unrest and confrontation. This we are not just prepared to stand by and watch happening, but will intervene decisively against, if it blocks the running of meetings and general public order," says Chief Inspector Kai Vittrup from the Copenhagen Police, according to Jyllands Posten.
However, the Danish branch of the international network Peoples Global Action are planning protest at the borders if the Danish police, as expected, stop busses with demonstrators and deny them entry.
"This will happen both in the form of secret actions, where we will sneak people across the border, and with more spectacular happenings. Those bent on violence will not enter on busses and will not travel openly and they will get in anyway," says a representavie from People's Global Action.
Global action believes that it will be harder to convince Danish protesters to behave if the police stop protesters at the border.
Nevertheless, Chief Inspector Vittrup confirms that the Danish police will make extensive use of border controls to keep troublemakers out.
[Press Articles: Jyllands-Posten, http://www.jp.dk/indland/artikel:aid=1309244/, Website: Stop the Union 2002, http://ue2002.dk/9.php?sp=1, Written by Peter Karlsen, Edited by Lisbeth Kirk]