By Matthew Knott in Copenhagen.
Violence is expected to escalate on the streets of Copenhagen over coming days as climate activists, angered by the “pre-emptive” arrest of almost 1,200 protesters over the weekend, consider more radical forms of protest.
Crikey today witnessed an entire 230-person strong climate change demonstration placed under arrest, although there was no sign of violent behaviour by the protesters. According to the Danish police, the protest had not been authorised; however, until the arrests, police officers had facilitated the progress of the march and told activists they would be allowed to continue.
Journalists and even a jogger are believed to be among those now being housed in the special steel cages brought in for COP15.
A Copenhagen police spokesman said police had found bolt-cutters and gas masks when they searched the sound wagon leading the demonstration.
Danish police demonstrate the special COP15 "climate cages" (Jens Noergaard Larsen/Scanpix, via Reuters)
“It seems totally unprovoked,” Richard Bernard of Climate Justice Action, an activist group opposed to market-based solutions to climate change, said. “There were no meaningful acts of disobedience. Police are shutting them [the protests] down before they’ve even had a chance to have their say. It´s a human rights issue, a freedom of speech issue.”
Today’s arrests come after 968 members of the 40,000-strong Global Day of Climate Action march were detained by police yesterday. Only two have been charged with any offence. Thirteen remain in custody awaiting an outcome.
The arrests have been made under a special COP15 “pre-emptive” measure that allows police to detain anyone they suspect to be a trouble maker.
Climate Justice Action’s Richard Bernard said he hoped protesters would reconsider their tactics. “The Danish police are using the same tactic: getting us to shut up as soon as possible,” he said. ”We can´t allow that to happen.”
In today’s “Hit the Production” rally, activists had hoped to shut down Copenhagen Harbour to protest the international shipping industry’s role in causing climate change. They didn´t even get within sight of the harbour.
Protesters plans to shut down Copenhagen Harbour were foiled by mass arrests
Police officers jumped aboard the activists’ sound wagon and kicked them off. Police trucks surrounded the scene, blocking everyone, including the media, from leaving. It was a pretty scary place to be, as the following video shows.
After marching slowly and peacefully through the city for around an hour, the first sign of trouble Crikey noticed was a small band of activists trying to run ahead of the main pack. From that moment on things got nasty: everything seemed to move in fast-motion as journalists, photographers, protesters, passers-by, all in a total state of confusion, were pushed and shoved by the police. Officers in riot gear, some with dogs, outnumbered the protesters; perhaps by as much as two to one. “Take a chill pill,” yelled a protester. “What are we doing that is illegal?”
“You will be allowed to continue with your demonstration in a few minutes,” said a policeman with a megaphone. Ten minutes later, he announced that all the protesters were under arrest. No reason was given. Some protesters later claimed that police had used pepper spray as they made the arrests.
Police and protesters exchange angry words
Dutch activist Peter Polder managed to avoid arrest. “For no apparent reason the police blocked it in, took over our sound wagon and arrested the complete demonstration,” he told Crikey. “They acted pretty aggressively…It seems to be a strategy to scare people off campaigning for climate justice. We have to rethink our tactics.”
Saturday’s Global Day of Action was a far bigger, longer, more colourful affair. Grandparents and pram-wheeling young parents marched alongside anti-capitalists blasting reggae tunes from boom-boxes and environmentalists dressed up as trees, pandas and polar bears.
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Regarding the arrest of 968 people, many initial reports seem to have got it wrong: some painted it as a violent protest dominated by anarchists whilst others, such as the Sydney Morning Herald, said the police action came out of thin air. Crikey understands - through eyewitness reports of people working where the arrests were made – that problems began when an anarchist group called Never Trust a COP decided to abandon a planned rival protest and join the main march instead. As this video shows, some of these protesters, wearing scarves to cover their faces, did throw stones at police cars and set off flares. However the protest as a whole was overwhealmingly peaceful; most of those arrested were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and got caught up in the police swoop.
The next big action is planned for Wednesday, when activists will try to storm the Bella Centre barricades and encourage a mass walkout by negotiators unpleased with the direction of the talks.
With only six days left to get a deal, things are heating up both in the negotiating rooms and on the streets. Follow the news as it happens via twitter at mattknott_COP15.
8 Comments
“…The next big action is planned for Wednesday, when activists will try to storm the Bella Centre barricades…”
That sounds a likely peaceful demonstration from a rabble of misanthropic and unflushable turds.
No-one does hate better than the Left.
“…anti-capitalists blasting reggae tunes from boom-boxes and environmentalists dressed up as trees, pandas and polar bears…”
Laughably fashionable too.
Watching this wank-fest descend into farce is terrific viewing…capped in no short way by the increasingly discordant actions of the anarchists in the crowd.
The louder they scream and more frequently they smash things the more alienated ‘the cause’ becomes from the mainstream.
Like successive WEF demo’s, these pitiful and pathetic creatures can’t help themselves but default to primordial engagement methods when no-one listens to them or better, gives a toss what they’re saying.
Much like a two-year old’s tanty.
Its good to see young people protesting and hopefully upsetting the summit attendees, wouldn’t want all youth to be dull, complacent and suburban, plenty of time for that later.
RE: MPM and his two-year-old tanty cracks.
Writing letters to the newspapers or waiting for the great and good to think practically about future generations’ lives has been so productive to date hasn’t it? I remember only too vividly my youthful experience of the anti-apartheid and pro-free speech rallies in Brisbane and London of the late Seventies and Eighties, as well as the crusties versus big business/big politics nightmares in London, Amsterdam and elsewhere of the Nineties.
Militarised and anonymised thugs in uniform versus anybody at all who chances to be in the way of their repressive and suppressive tactics (regardless of actual behaviour or status as participants or bystanders) is at least as much the cause of the violence we see now as the sheer desperation disenfranchised youth feel now as their futures go up in smoke to feed the myth of busines-as-usual-at-all-costs.
In London the police call the indiscrimate corralling, beating and imprisonment of citizens “kettling”. It’s meant to convey controlling heat safely. Instead the word describes best the all too predictable actual outcomes – a scream of high-pressure steam escaping through any chink it can find, and/or a shattering explosion of the containing vessel. Neither outcome constitutes sane (nor effective) public policy.
Most folks who protest shower regularly & are for peace not war. There are those who are impatient & youthfully idealistic, so are there to vent their anger. To see all protesters as the margin is short-sighted & myopic. It’s shows a simplistic prejudice against folks that rally deserve a place inside the conference not outside. Their views are the ones that have been ignored & are based on reasonable responses to the scientific assessment of our future.
I believe in the right respectfully counter views. But the way politicians are bargaining with a future that is not theirs to inherit is rather dis-respectful & begets a similar response. Like when everyone turned their faces from John Howard, I hope there is a walk out on Wed.
MPM: Obviously you ‘dont give a toss’ about the future so perhaps you could respectfully leave & donate your projected carbon footprint to a communtiy in africa that will make more responsible use of it. Ooooo was that dis-respectful or demeaning, now you might know how it feels. Get w/ the program!
“…I believe in the right respectfully counter views…”
Not when they include assault and/or property damage.
These are all indefensible and unjustifiable acts of protest.
“…But the way politicians are bargaining with a future that is not theirs to inherit is rather dis-respectful & begets a similar response…”
No, the Left begets violence…a position you appear happy to condone.
Sadly, you’re inability to articulate a peaceful position like an adult and your blindingly hypocritical disrespect for those who don’t share your world view sees you advocating inexcusable childish schoolyard thuggery.
You don’t have an exclusive province on “the future”.
Get over yourself…the world owes you nothing.
MPM why do you love posting in crikey???
You’re always against everything that is reported here, perhaps you should find another news source???
If you’re so against the ‘left’ why do you consume from them?? Are you all black inside?? There is a morbid psychology going on behind your postings.
The powers that be owe a future to all children. Dont you have some of those?? Ask them what they would like their future to look like. This is a moral stand point not an economic one. If only econonmics rules then we (the youth) have a future of concentrated wealth to look forward to.
The left begets violence: is like saying ‘no you started it first’. I dont get your standpoint except from the perspective that anyone who is opposed to the status quo is yr enemy?? Are you a full-time retiree living off your BHP shares?? Is crikey threatening to yr world view?
Question yrself before you attack others.
& Yes I have questioned myself.
Maybe you believe the world is negotiating against you in copenhagen??
How do you feel about the african nations staging a walk out today??
They did this because they felt the only way to get noticed was by doing something a bit radical. Maybe your life has been all smooth sailing & you’ve never had to stand up & say ‘that is morally inexcusable’. This is what protesting is actually about. Forget for a moment the minority of protestors who damage property (I’m not sure where you got the notion of assault coming from them in copenhagen, I thought it was the police that did that!).
I speak from the heart while you attack from the dictionary. I’m not interested in being labelled ‘left’ or whatever tag fits yr mood. The middle is a scary gray place where most folks sit & they never read our posts here. If you sit firmly on ‘Right’ then why dont you stay there. Your inflated personal attacks are annoying, & I’d love to meet you in the street to have a proper face to face argument. I’m not scared. Reveal yourself.
I know you dont believe we have anything to do w/ climate change & that it’s not really getting warmer but it’s getting cooler. I know you despise the ‘Left’. Are you a fascist?? Or an aspiring dictator?? A teeny-tiny-petty tyrant?
Are only children capable of thuggery?? I’m not so sure of that. Are adults only capable of having a peaceful position?? What in yr view is a peaceful position?? I dont feel you have a very peaceful nature myself, looking at the way you attack folks here.
Why dont we peacefully sit down & have a nice chat about the ways of the world.
Maybe I would sheepishly agree w/ all of your views & then work to make the world in your image. Did you not get enough hugs from your mama??
Are you crying out for attention?? I love you, Most peculiar mama even though you only spend time here attacking the views of reporters & posters & never speak your heart. I love you because I believe in a global brotherhood & sisterhood & that we need to see all folks as related to us. I know it’s a mad world.
I reckon crikey should have a special blog just for you to comment on all their stories So we can just click in one spot to get all of your attacking. The sad thing is that this would only be used for entertainment value!!
If you are so strong in your views why do you persist in accessing information which is contrary to it. Do you think you will save the world???
You may feel I’ve attacked you here a few times, in response I’ll say ‘you started it’
(post #1 is YOURS).
In closing I would like to ask what do you think the readers of crikey owe you???
We are seeking a view not usually expressed in print & TV media. With which we have an affinity. If you have no affinity with the likes of Guy Rundle, Bernard Keenes, Clive Hamilton, Mungo MacCallum etc. Why do you read here??????? Why???
Those guys must yawn when they see yr name & gloss over yr comments. I’ll have to start doing that now. I was warned earlier.
Thanks for wasting so much time deconstructing your confected adolescent rage into words.
It’s quite clear you don’t understand this medium.
Existing in partisan political vacuum – as much as Crikey does and you appear to – is rather hypocritical, particularly when many here (laughably) accuse THE RIGHT WING of doing just that bereft of any accountability or scrutiny.
I know it pains you to know others don’t share your utopian group-hug idealism; I prefer to celebrate what makes us different. Vanilla everyday is so boring.
But I’ll make sure I first seek your permission the next time I want to counter any points (arguments [LOL]) being made by the intellectual giants that pose as authors at Crikey and those – like yourself – who lurk amongst the comments cognoscenti.
Oooh they had benches back then… those were nowhere to be found by the time i had my turn in the cages… Just a cold and dirty concrete floor to sit on for 12 hours, 12 hours with just an apple to eat.
Held for a long long day, just because i was around the bella centre – without any incriminating equipement whatsoever, just me and my bike wanting my voice to join in with many others ! No charges, no reason given for arrest. Is this what democracy looks like ?