500 attend people’s meeting outside Bella Center

Climate activists hold people’s meeting outside Bella Center after an unsuccessful attempt to enter area just outside. 250 people arrested. Modkraft follows the developments.

Af english - 16. december 2009

13.41 Climate activists in the Reclaim Power action will begin to go towards Copenhagen’s centre in 15 minutes. This was the result of group discussions among activists.

13.34 It has been announced by megaphone that people will discuss whether or not they will try to get into the Bella Center area again. The decision is supposed to take about five minutes.

13.26 Climate Justice action is pleased that the People’s Meeting has started, but is disappointed that the police have prevented activists and COP15 delegates from meeting each other.

"The goal of this demonstration has been to meet with delegates and representatives from the Bella Center and hold a people’s meeting where we could together discuss just solutions to climate change. Unfortunately, police have violently prevented delegates from the Bella Center meeting with the demonstration and taking part together in the people’s meeting." says Kamillie Kofod from the network.

"The people’s meeting has now started with discussing solutions that are both socially just and can actually solve the climate crisis. The agreement that is being created at COP15 deals first and foremost with securing the rich countries’ interests. Trade with C02 quotas will not solve anything."

13.14 While 500 delegates from the COP15 summit in Bella Center participate in a People’s Meeting, the police have made an iron-ring around the area. Activists have been pushed so far back that officers in front of the Bella Center have taken their helmets off and put away their batons.

Modkraft’s correspondent tells that an activist has been carried on a stretcher and taken away on an ambulance. Another activist has suffered a broken arm but continues anyway to demonstrate.

Meanwhile at the people’s meeting, a woman from Jubilee South has received applause after a speech about climate debt. She said among other things, that although the West has a climate debt to lands in the South the demand from the south is not money, but system change.

Afterwards, a representative from the Canadian postal workers’ union took the microphone and called on the trade unions that had stayed at home.

"Where are the red unions now?" he would like to know.

"It should be a case for all unions to reveal the ’corporate brainwash’ that is taking place in the Bella Center." He said.

12.53 At the people’s meeting outside Bella Center there is being held talks by people from Mexico and Ecuador in Spanish.

"After 150 years extraction of oil, the rest should stay in the earth because the only oil that doesn’t contribute to global warming is that which stays in the earth." says a woman from Ecuador.

People shout: "Leave the oil in the soil!"

"Energy should not be in the hands of businesses and we demand that the atmosphere should not be privatised." says a speaker from Mexico.

12.44 The so-called pontoon bridge wasn’t a bridge but a protection shield for demonstrators. It was used to attempt to push around 100 officers in a chain back. It didn’t work. The attempt was met with baton strikes.

12.42 Police are still blocking in the main demonstration on Vejlands Allé, but there is an opening on to Amagerfaelled at the side of the demonstration. Some demonstrators are trickling out - there are also officers in the area.

Activists are coming with a pontoon bridge made out of air mattresses that could possibly be used to cross a canal. However, officers with dogs are positioned on the other side.

12.36 Modkraft’s correspondent tells that the People’s Assembly is also being held inside Bella Center. This is because delegates are forbidden from leaving the area. Police say that they will arrest them if they attempt to come out. Several delegates that tried to come out and establish a people’s meeting with the activists have been beaten with batons.

12.30 According to Modkraft’s correspondent, the so-called People’s Assembly between NGOs and COP15 delegates is in progress. It’s happening on a carpet that has been laid out close to the Bella Center. Activists from Climate Justice Action however have not succeeded in reaching the meeting as police with batons and pepperspray are holding them back.

12.25Demonstrators on a little bridge have been removed. A large police officer pulled them from behind. This got one part of the demonstration to move themselves. The remaining were squashed together and beaten according to Modkraft’s correspondent.

12.18 Police have succeeded in pushing demonstrators further away and have arrested several people. Politiken.dk writes that 250 people have been arrested in the course of today’s action.

12.15 The organisers of today’s demonstration, Climate Justice Action, are shocked over the police’s behaviour. "Police have completely overreacted. They trap and use violence against peaceful demonstrators. We have activists that have been bitten by dogs, violently beaten with batons, and the police are spraying pepperspray directly into the eyes of peaceful demonstrators." says spokesperson Kamilie Kofoed from the network.

She continues: "We have had a really good demonstration with good humour and a fantastic atmosphere from the global civil society that we have gathered. We have attempted dialogue. We have played with open cards and guaranteed a peaceful protest and demonstration. Despite this we have been treated just like demonstrators on the streets of Tehran. We are in shock."

12.09 Police are pushing people together. People are screaming and shouting. There is panic and people are having a hard time breathing.

12.01 The speaker wagon has called out: "We’re staying here. The delegates are close by. Don’t be scared by the police. Police have circled the wagon and are using their batons and are trying to take it over. There is panic and tumult.

11.58 Behind the fence two small minibuses for arrested people have advanced.

One person is arrested, it is unknown why.

11.57A group of around 50 activists has tried to get into the Center area via some small bridges over the canals. They have come behind the police who have stormed up to try and stop them.

The main demonstration is surrounded by more armoured wagons.

There has been made a blockade of bicycles behind the demonstration wagon. Police have driven all the way to the bikes.

11.55Riot police are preventing the delegates and the demonstration from meeting each other. More armoured wagons are approaching the area. There is discussion between police and delegates. They are trying to agree on where the people’s meeting should take place.

11.49The woman at the speaker wagon says that they will hold the people’s meeting at the cross. She urges everyone to stay together and says that they shouldn’t be afraid. "We have the right to be here" she says.

11.45The delegates from the Bella Center have come outside the center - demonstrators can now hear each other.

The front of the demonstration has been attacked with batons.

The speaker car has been attacked by policemen. They have arrested a woman who spoke to the crowd and dragged her off.

A new woman has jumped up on the wagon and has seized the microphone.

11.42 It has been heard that there are 500 people leaving the Bella Center to support the demonstration.

The police have taken over the demo wagon and have detained Climate Justice Action spokesperson Stine Gry among others.

11.40 The speaker wagon is calling "Stop use of violence, this is a non violent demonstration".

There is unrest between the press and the police.

11.37 A police officer has been injured - he was hit by his colleague’s pepperspray.

11.31 Modkraft has heard that there are 200 people that are trying to come out to the demonstration from inside the Bella Center.

11.28 Demonstrators are trying to storm Bella Center, screaming and shouting. The police have pulled out their batons. The situation is complete chaos.

11.24 amPolice have blocked a section of the Vejlands Alle outside Bella Center.

The front of the demonstration is at the intersection of Vejlands Alle/Øresunds Boulevard, the back is under the viaduct.

The police are waiting.

11.16 am The demonstration has spread into the area. The part of the demonstration that is farthest forward is being followed closely by five police wagons. Some bike demonstrators are trying to block the wagons.

1113 am Demonstrators have begun to run. Demonstrators are approximately 100 metres from Bella Centre. A cycle block of around 30 people has also arrived.

1109 am Police have just told the demonstration by megaphone that people will be arrested if they break the police cordon by Bella Center.

"This is the police. Bella Center is cordoned off and breach of this cordon will lead to arrest." They have proclaimed in English, German and Danish.

People have reacted by booing and have continued marching.

1049 am The demonstration has now turned down Vejland Alle. Speakers from the demo car are urging the demo to stay together.

Police have not blocked the viaduct under the Metros tracks as it would block the demonstration from reaching the Bella Center. Instead, police personnel carriers have set up along the front of the Bella Center in the parking lot.

One person has been arrested at the entrance to the Bella Center, where the accredited NGOs must go through. It is not known why. Modkraft have talked to a Greenpeace activist who is strongly dissatisfied that NG0s do not have access to the center in the last days of the COP15 meeting.

By Bella Center Station a vegan food stand is distributing sandwiches. Greenpeace is also present here.

1040 am Police officers have taken a demonstrator out and put him in a wagon. The operation took place very quickly. Other demonstrators shouted and asked about the charge without receiving an answer. The demonstrator was quickly driven away.

1038 am The demonstration has reached the cross of Englandsvej and Vejlands Allé. People at the front of the demo are being squeezed very closely together because of police wagons. The demonstration is now moving down Vejlands Allé towards the Bella Center.

1029 am The British Climate Justice Action spokesperson is among the 100 people detained at Ørestad Station. Before he was arrested, he managed to tell that police have used pepper-spray against demonstrators around Ørestad Station.

Skriv kommentar