Climate Collective News

Danish National Court rules mass arrest to be illegal!

The Danish police broke the law when they detained thousands of climate protesters on December the 12th and four other dates during the COP15 in Copenhagen. The National Court of Denmark confirms the ruling of the City Court of Copenhagen and declares all five mass-arrests during the COP15 illegal .

In addition the court ruled that article of the European human rights convention was violated on December the 12th as the police degraded and mistreatted the arestees. Thus compensation of up to 9000 Danish Kroner should still be awarded to the ones who filed complaints in due time. All in all the Danish police will be handing out compensations in the millions.

Anyone who were preemptively arrested during the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in 2009, but never complained, should contact the Danish legal group RUSK. Then there might be a possibility to get compensation as well, even though you were not part of the lawsuit. Email kontakt@rusklaw.org (please specify name, address, nationality, and date, place and time of the arrest).

The Climate Collective strongly opposes Mark Kennedy coming to Denmark

Mark Kennedy, the English undercover cop who was exposed last year, is coming to Denmark during the CPH DOX documentary film festival. He is invited to speak in connection to the screening of a documentary telling his story.

The Climate Collective strongly opposes that Mark Kennedy gives a talk at the festival or for that matter that he makes any appearance in Denmark at all. Having spent years infiltrating English climate activists, Mark Kennedyis to many a symbol of the massive repression activists have experienced the last couple of years.

Using undercover cops is a huge democratic problem undermining peoples’ right to act politically. That the English police uses undercover cops to such an extent is in itself shocking, but the fact that Mark Kennedy and probably many of his colleagues have been collaborating with the Danish police clearly shows how far Danish police is willing to go in the use of undemocratic methods in order to prevent political activism.

The festival argues that it is important to discuss the methods used by the state to obtain information about political activities. However, the Climate Collective argues that showing a film, which only tells one side of the story, namely the story of Mark Kennedy who since his exposure will do anything to clean his reputation, does not invite for a fair discussion. Moreover asking the same person to speak after the screening gives a platform to someone that has been lying and betraying people who considered him their friend, and who should not have another chance to explain himself. In fact the whole film project stinks of a person without morals or conscience trying to make money on the pain he has caused on others.

It is an insult to the many people whose lives Mark Kennedy has done his best to ruin that he is made to feel welcome (back) to Denmark. In respect for our Danish and English comrades who have been the victims of Mark Kennedy's lies and betrayal we strongly urge the CPH DOX festival to cancel his appearance and the screening of the film. Below is a letter sent to the film festival by English friends.

As people who are involved in UK environmental activism and who came into contact with Mark Kennedy, we were disappointed to hear that he would be speaking in person at the Copenhagen Film Festival in November, accompanying a screening of the documentary Undercover Cop.

Having lost his lucrative career as an undercover police officer, Mark Kennedy decided to do anything to maximize his income. He hired notorious publicity agent Max Clifford who helped him sell his story to the media - an agent more usually known for clients like reality TV stars or people who have sex with footballers.

In his media appearances Kennedy has continually lied about both his police career and his life as an activist. He has contradicted himself on numerous occasions in interviews.

Clifford secured Kennedy a large fee for this documentary, irrespective of the quality of its content. Having spent many years lying, and now seems unable to know what truth is any more. His unreliability means that neither his police colleagues nor activist comrades wanted anything to do with the making of this film. It is a shame that a well-respected film festival has been compromised by a documentary with such a dubious basis.

The long term existence of Kennedy as an undercover police officer in our movement has caused extreme emotional and psychological distress to the people who counted him as a friend, or in some cases as a partner. Some of the people who had sexual relations with Kennedy feel that his use of sex as a means of ingratiating himself within the community in order to obtain information was essentially state-sponsored sexual abuse.

After all the damage that he has inflicted on so many people’s lives, it is morally repugnant that he is now building a career based on exploiting the damage that he has caused. It is unacceptable for him to profit from this while at the same time many people are still picking up the pieces of their lives that were shattered by his lies. You are intending to give this man a platform, and presumably you intend to financially reward him for going over the details of how he intentionally damaged the lives of those around him. We ask you to reconsider your actions.

For information about the screening: href="http://www.cphdox.dk/d/film.lasso?ser=1676&s=2011112&e=1

If you want to send a letter to the festival, they can be contacted at: info@cphdox.dk

STOP CASTOR!

I den sidste weekend i November vil den europæiske atomindustri igen forsøge at rulle Castor transporten med dens giftige, radioaktive affald fra La Hague, Frankrig til Gorleben, Tyskland.

Siden den første Castor transport er en massiv folkelig modstand opstået og bare sidste år var tusindvis med til at underminere Castoren togskinner og stoppe transport gennem fysiske blokader.

Igen i år vil lokale og internationale sætte en stopper for industriens og politikernes giftigt-grønne energi! Vil du være med?

En gruppe aktivister vil holde et info-møde på torsdag, d. 10 November, i Ungdomshuset kl. 20.00 for at organisere og mobilisere til dette års protester - kom frisk!

Bussen vil forlade Torsdag eller Fredag den sidste weekend i November og komme tilbage sent Mandag og tidligt Tirsdag. Fundraising er i gang for at gøre bussen overkommelig for mennesker. Hvis du ved du ønsker at komme på bussen og ønsker at sikre sig en plads, eller hvis du ønsker mere information, skriv til: castordk2011@riseup.net

Mere info:

http://www.castor2011.org/ http://www.castor-schottern.net/ https://www.gorleben-castor.de/index.php

STOP CASTOR!

In the last weekend of November, the nuclear industry of Europe will run the last of the hazardous Castor transports of nuclear waste from La Hague in France to Gorleben in Germany.

For the full life of the transports there have been massive popular protests and last year saw tens of thousands of people - locals and internationals alike - trying to undermine the train tracks used by the Castor train and to block the transport with their bodies.

Last year a bus of activists from Denmark went there to help our German friends and to show the nuclear industry and Governments of EU with profits on their mind that nuclear is neither sustainable nor wanted.. Want to join the protests this year?

A group of activists will hold an info-meeting on Thursday the 10th of November at Ungdomshuset at 20.00 to organize and mobilize for this year's protest.

A bus is being organized from Copenhagen to support the local resistance in Gorleben and have a good weekend of actions. - join us!

The bus will leave either Thursday or Friday the last weekend of November and return late on Monday or early Tuesday. Fundraising is underway to make the bus affordable for people. If you know you want to come on the bus and want to secure a seat, or if you want more information, write to: castordk2011@riseup.net

More info:

http://www.castor2011.org/ http://www.castor-schottern.net/ https://www.gorleben-castor.de/index.php

Climate collective condemns police criminalization of demonstrations

The desperate attempt by Danish police to justify their illegal arrests of thousands of people during the climate summit in 2009 is an attack on the right to protest and a breach of justice.

Nearly 2000 people were preemptively arrested during the Climate Summit COP15 in December 2009. 250 people complained about the preemptive arrests and the behavior of the police. The court agreed with the protestors that all mass arrests during the summit were illegal and held that the protestors had the right to compensation. The police appealed the verdict and are now trying to justify their actions two years ago by investigation the background of all the people arrested.

The climate collective believes that Danish Police are turning the justice process on it’s head. It is inappropriate and dangerous for a police force to arrest someone without a reason, and then to search peoples private lives and backgrounds for something to justify that arrest.

More troubleing still is the ’evidence’ of supposed wrongdoings that they have presented from claimants backgrounds. What the police are presenting in court is any contact the claimants have had with the police, from biking without lights to being a police liasons during demonstrations. They have also used private details such as facebook activities and facebook friendships.

The idea that minor past infringements or facebook friendship circles could justify arresting someone is ludicrous. But the criminalization of past involvement in demonstrations is a direct attact on the right to protest. The fact that police are attempting to build a case around this so called evidence exposes the negative view Danish police hold of demonstrations.

The climate collective believes that right to protest is an important part of any democracy. We condemn the police actions and hope that the court upholds the cliaments right to due compensation.

More information:

http://politiken.dk/debat/ECE1420499/politiets-staedighed-er-et-udtryk-for-kollektiv-daarlig-samvittighed/

http://politiken.dk/politik/ECE1417758/enhedslisten-kalder-politi-registrering-skraemmende/

http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE1417609/demonstranter-og-deres-bekendte-granskes-af-politiet/

http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE1418044/sf-leder-vil-have-forklaring-paa-politiets-undersoegelse-af-masseanholdte/

http://politiken.dk/debat/ledere/ECE1418535/jagt-paa-demonstranter-er-helt-ude-af-proportioner/

http://www.information.dk/281645

http://arbejderen.dk/content/tisse-p-et-fortov

http://arbejderen.dk/artikel/2011-10-11/facebook-slagsm-l-i-landsretten

http://arbejderen.dk/artikel/2011-10-11/glemte-lygter-i-2005-anholdt-fire-r-efter

Fredspris til klimaaktivister

Kilde: modkraft.dk

Tannie Nyboe og Stine Gry Jonassen, der begge fik fængelsdomme for deres rolle under COP15, er blevet tildelt fredsfestivallens Hæderspris for deres indsats for klimaet.

»Hvis statsmagten stiller to klimaaktivister til ansvar for en hel bevægelse, må svaret være, at vi står samlet til ansvar!«

Det var begrundelsen for at tildele de volddømte arrangører af en af COP15s mange demonstrationer, Tannie Nyboe og Stine Gry Jonassen, årets FredsGris.

Det skete på Fredsfestivallen, der traditionen tro blev afholdt på Karens Minde i Sydhavnen i København lørdag den 10. september.

Med uddelingen af prisen følger Fredsfestivallen dermed forsvarsadvokat Thorkild Høyer opfordring.

Stine Gry Jonassen og Tannie Nyboe fra Climate Justice Action er blevet idømt fire måneders fængsel – heraft to måneder ubetinget. Foto: Mark Knudsen/Monsun.

– De burde have en pris for deres civil courage og deltagelse i debatten om klima. Det er flot at holde så stort et arrangement uden nogen form for personskade, udtalte han umiddelbart efter at de to kvinder var blevet idømt fængselsstraffe for deres rolle i demonstrationen.

»Voldsdømt for en fredelig demonstration«

Østre Landsret afgjorde onsdag den 1. juni, at de to aktivister, som var talspersoner for klimanetværket Climate Justice Action, skal to måneder i fængsel, samt to måneders betinget fængsel med en prøvetid på et år.

Det er en skærpelse af sidste års dom i byretten, hvor de tblev idømt fire måneders betinget fængsel for deres rolle i demonstrationen »Reclaim Power – Push for Climate Justice« den 16. december 2009 nær Bella Center.

En dom som forsvarsadvokaten kalder »meget uheldig«.

– Det var en fredelig demonstration uden spark, slag eller flaskekast. Derfor er det en meget kedeligt dom. Hvorfor skal man lave en fredelig demonstration fremover, hvis man alligevel får dom for vold? Så kan man jo lige så godt give den hele armen, sgade han dengang til Modkraft.

Med prisen følger 6000 kr. som et bidrag til omkostningerne ved Tannie Nyboe og Stine Gry Jonassens retssager.

Support initiatives for Stine and Tannie

After the second level of court has sentenced guilty Stine and Tannie, the two have received an impressively high court cost bill. Climate Collective has stated from the beginning that we all shouted push and invited everyone to [help raising money] (http://www.climatecollective.org/en/take-action/donate/) for our common expenses. In the coming weeks, smaller and bigger events are being planned, in order to express solidarity and raise the funds needed to pay the bills.

As of now, two support bars have been planned, both in the Café Under Konstruktion (Folkets Hus, Stengade 50, Copenhagen N). The first one will take place on Thursday, September 1st, from 18:00 to 24:00, and the second one on Friday, September 30th.

Come by and bring your friends and rich uncles, to get a beer or a tea and support us in this fight!

Moreover, parties and other initiatives will be organized, so stay tuned for more info!

Call for solidarity with the convicted CJA spokespersons

On the 1st of June 2011 the High Court of Denmark sentenced Tannie Nyboe and Stine Gry Jonassen two months of prison and two months of suspended prison (one year of probation) for their involvement in the non-violent civil disobedient mass action Reclaim Power – Pushing for Climate Justice that took place on the 16th of December 2009 during the COP15 in Copenhagen (i.e., the 15th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).

The purpose of the action, which was mobilised by the global network Climate Justice Action (CJA), was to hold a popular assembly which challenged the legitimacy of the official COP negotiations. Protesters from outside and critical accredited participants from inside were to create a platform for the people and groups mostly affected by climate change, whose voices were (and still are) not being listened to in the official COP negotiations (See this video for a summary of the action).

Acting as Danish spokesperson for the CJA in the period leading up to the COP15, speaking with Danish media and the police about the purpose of the action and its non-violent action codex, Tannie and Stine Gry were asked to facilitate communication on the sound truck during the Reclaim Power action. This led to them being arrested and held personally responsible for the action. The main evidence used against them was that they allegedly shouted “push” from the sound truck during the demonstration, along with thousands of other protesters.

On the 25th of November 2010 the Copenhagen District Court found Tannie and Stine Gry guilty in planning and instigating violence against the police (§119), serious disturbance of public peace and order (§134a), trespassing (§264) and vandalism (§291). They received a four months suspended prison sentence with one year of probation (for more on this, see summary of first court case and a list of international media coverage).

Not satisfied with the sentence, the police decided to appeal to the High Court of Denmark. Although this resulted in the fourth charge of vandalism (§291) being dropped, the appeal also resulted in Tannie and Stine Gry receiving a stiffer sentence than before, so that they now face two months of prison and two months of suspended prison with one year of probation (The Guardian, 2 June 2011). In addition to this Tannie and Stine Gry face high court costs, possibly up to 30.000 Euros or more.

But WE ALL SHOUTED PUSH and we all pushed together for climate justice the 16th of December 2009!

In holding two individuals responsible for a whole movement's collective decision-making and collective protests, Tannie and Stine Gry's verdict violates and undermines fundamental principles of social movement politics. The case clearly demonstrates how societal structures in “democratic countries” like Denmark scare people from protesting and organizing politically, killing off critical voices that dare to stand forward in the media.

What we are witnessing is a violation of the freedom of speech and our right to assembly, in other words a tactic of repression aimed at silencing social movements. For people to not be afraid to speak out in the future we need to show solidarity with individuals who are targets of political repression. It is thus of fundamental importance that there is a collective response of solidarity with Tannie and Stine Gry.

We cannot change the prison sentence; Tannie and Stine Gry will pay for the action of a whole movement by having their bodies locked behind prison walls for two months minimum. However, we can do something to cover the court costs collectively, therefore the Climate Collective encourages individuals, groups, collectives and organisations that were involved in the CJA mobilisation leading up to the COP15, and/or that participated in the Reclaim Power action on the 16th of December 2009, and others that wish to show solidarity with Tannie and Stine Gry, to help covering our common court expenses.

This can be done in a variety of ways: individuals can for instance contribute with their salary earned from one day of work, groups and collectives can make support dinners or parties, more established NGOs are encouraged to donate money to the cause from their funds. These ideas are not exhaustive and activists are encouraged to think creatively and contribute in whatever ways they can and feel like.

Please help us raise money for court expenses

Stine and Tannie sentenced guilty

It has finished today Stine and Tannie's court case that had been appealed to the second level of court. The two CJA spokespersons have been sentenced to two months jail plus two months probation, and to pay the costs of court.

Climate Collective underlines once again its indignation for this attempt of holding two people responsible for the actions of a movement, and expresses its strongest solidarity to Stine and Tannie.

New trial against Stine and Tannie has started

With the beginning of the new trial, Climate Collective expresses once again its solidarity and support to the climate activists Stine and Tannie that are facing charges in relation to the 'Reclaim Power! Pushing for Climate Justice' action that took place during the protests against COP15 in 2009. Stine and Tannie acted as spokespersons for the Climate Justice Action (CJA) network, communicating and explaining the Reclaim Power! action to the media. Reclaim Power was built and planned on consensus in open, international meetings that took place before and during COP15 in Copenhagen. Climate Collective finds it outrageous that two activists are made responsible for the actions of an entire movement.

After being sentenced to four months on probation, yesterday the appeal case started at the second court level. Climate Collective support Stine and Tannie's position and demand once again for all charges to be dropped. The trial will continue until mid next week and it is not yet clear when a final verdict will be announced. Updates on the court case will be posted on climatecollective.org in the coming days.

More info on the previous court case can be found at these links: link1 link2

Stine and Tannie's court case

To our friends and comrades

As many of you already know, [Stine and Tannie's court case] (http://www.climatecollective.org/post/151) was appealed last December, and a new round of trial dates is around the corner.

No single person can be held responsible for the actions of a movement, decided and planned on consensus! We have said this endless times last year and we will keep saying it until Stine and Tannie are freed of all charges. Climate Collective is in a period of restructuring and is discussing future projects, which is why the website has been mostly silent in recent times. However, we will give updates on the court case as it moves along.

Drop the charges!

Nordic Climate Action Camp Support bar & people's kitchen

Friday, March 18th in Cafè Under Konstuktion from 20:00 to 2:00

Climatecamp2010 aimed at stopping Shells destructive drillings for fossil gas in Skåne. We don't need more fossil fuel or multinational corporations making profit on destroying the planet. This is why Climatecamp2010 tried to stop Shell's test drillings in the area through direct action to tell them that they are not welcome neither in Skåne nor anywhere else. One person was picked out by police during a blockade of a Shell station and has recently been convicted of vandalism, disturbance of public order and violently resisting arrest.

No one should stand alone with the legal consequences of collective action - Come and show solidarity, drink a beer and take a dance with your friends!

Nordic Climate Action Camp Support bar & people's kitchen

Friday the 18th of March from 20.00 until 02.00 in Cafe under Konstruktion

Klimacamp2010 forsøgte at sætte en stopper for Shells destruktive fossilgas boringer i Skåne. Vi har ikke brug for flere fossile brændsler eller multinationale firmaer der skaber profit på at smadre planeten. Derfor valgte Klimacamp2010 gennem direkte aktion at forsøge at stoppe Shells prøveboringer i området og fortælle Shell at de ikke er velkomne hverken i Skåne eller nogen andre steder. En person blev plukket ud af politiet under en blokade af en Shell station og er fornyelig blevet dømt for hærværk, forstyrrelse af den offentlige ro og orden og voldeligt at modsætte sig anholdelse.

Ingen skal stå alene med retslige konsekvenser fra kollektive aktioner - Kom og vis din solidaritet, drik en øl og tag en sving om med dine venner!

Ny sang om politi og overvågning under Klimatopmødet

Per Vers og Brother Grimm har lavet denne sang om overvågning og politiet, der tydeligt er inspireret af Klimatopmødet og filmen "En klima-krimi".

Hør den her:

Listen here

Download hele Per Vers gratis album her: www.per.tv

Redegørelse om politiets chikane mod COP15 aktivister

Klimakollektivet har udfærdiget en redegørelse om politiets omfattende og systematiske chikane mod den aktivistiske klimaopposition op til og under Klimatopmødet i København 2009.

Denne redegørelse er nu blevet sendt til Justitsminister Lars Barfoed og Folketingets retsudvalg, som bedes forholde sig til forløbet set fra den anden side. Der er en række ting, som justitsministeren bør vide! For knippelsuppe til journalisterne var desværre bare et ud af mange eksempler på politiets overgreb mod demokratiet op til og under Klimatopmødet:

*Politiske anholdelser * intimiderende besøg på privatadresser * registrering og kropsvisitationer på offentlige sovesteder * trusler mod enkeltpersoner * vold og tåregas mod internationalt aftenarrangement * falske løfter og proformasamarbejde * misinformation om ”trusselsniveauet” fra politiledelsen til menige betjente og offentligheden * efterrationaliseringer for at miskreditere aktivister og demonstrationer * målrettet beslaglæggelse af kommunikationsmidler og anholdelse af talspersoner m.m.

Folketingets Retsudvalg må forholde sig til politiets metoder, som til forveksling minder om politisk undertrykkelse. Fortielserne om de spirende politistatsmetoder må erstattes af en reel debat på baggrund af et realistisk billede af politiets rolle i dagens Danmark.

[Læs redegørelsen i sin fulde længde her] (http://www.climatecollective.org/media/uploads/groupmedia/1/Redegørelse til Folketingets Retsudvalg.pdf)

UK: Activists found guilty in Ratcliffe coal climate trial

Press release: Activists found guilty in Ratcliffe coal climate trial

Twenty climate activists who planned to shut down one of Britain’s most polluting power stations for a week were found guilty of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass today.

The activists were among 114 people arrested in a dawn raid on Easter Monday last year in a widely criticised policing operation that saw officers smashing their way into a school in Nottingham. It was the biggest pre-emptive arrest in British history. Twenty of those arrested faced a crown court trial which opened last month and ended today. The activists openly accepted they wanted to force plant owners Eon to safely shut down the power station for a week in an effort to stop 150,000 tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere – but they said they weren’t guilty of a crime because they were acting out necessity due to the lack of an adequate response to climate change by corporations and politicians. This comes as the 16th UN Climate Change talks end in Cancun, where once again governments have failed to build a legally binding strategy to cut emissions.

Speaking after the verdict one of the defendants, Clare Whitney, said:

“During this trial we have heard from people on the front line of our changing climate, and from a company that is still burning the most dirty form of fossil fuel for their economic benefit. These worlds are not compatible. Taking action is not an issue of moral righteousness but an act of self-defence. If we’re to stand a chance of avoiding irreversible climate change we’ve got to realise that to bring about a better world we’ll need to do it ourselves.”

Defendant Chris Kitchen said

“We are in solidarity with all those around the world fighting for climate and social justice. Together we need to stop the root causes of climate change, we need to stop profit being put before people. It’s big business and politicians are that are the real criminals and we will not stand by as we are robbed of our future.”

Dan Glass, another defendant in the case, said:

“This ruling won’t stop emissions. But the huge support we have received from the people of Nottingham and internationally, does demonstrate that public opinion is increasingly turning against the liberties that governments are taking with our future.”

The court had earlier heard that a team of protesters would have pressed the emergency stop buttons on the coal conveyors which feed the boilers, while another team would have climbed the inside of the chimney before abseiling into the flues to prevent the plant re-opening for a week, saving 150,000 tonnes of CO2. Six defendants took to the witness stand. One, Ben Stewart, told the jury: “we did this to save human lives. I can’t tell you if the lives we would have saved would have been my relatives or your relatives, but they would have been somebody’s relatives.” All defendants spoke of huge amount of community engagement they have carried out to raise the issue of action on climate change, whilst still seeing emissions continuing to rise unabated.

The defendants also called a number of internationally renowned expert witnesses. They included Professor James Hansen, acclaimed as the world’s leading climate scientist. He told the jury: “It doesn’t surprise me that young people are angry when they know that politicians are lying to them.” When challenged by the judge as to the measurable effects of the defendants’ proposed action, Hansen noted that the action could have prevented one, if not more, species from becoming extinct. Dr Ian Roberts, Professor of Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Medicine detailed to the court the real and imminent threat to health posed by climate change, saying we risk a ‘generational genocide’ as we ‘sleep walk into a nightmare’. Dr Roberts told the court that at least 150,000 people a year were dying as a result of man-made climate change.

Former local MP Alan Simpson also appeared as a witness for the defence. In his written testimony he said: ‘Climate Change protestors are in my view absolutely right to argue that we cannot continue with a ‘business as usual’ approach to UK carbon emissions without threatening the very prospects of existence for future generations.’ Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP told the court politicians had failed in their duty to protect the public from climate change.

For more, contact +44 (0)7834324840

Notes:

The conspiracy to shut down Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in April 2009 is different from the [Great Climate Swoop of October 2009] (http://climatecamp.org.uk/actions/climate-swoop-2009)

Statement from the defendants

As the UN climate talks finish in Cancun, and fail once again to come up with any legally binding framework to reduce emissions, the British legal system is still upholding business as usual. This can’t continue. Burning coal has no future.

We are twenty of the 114 who were targets of the biggest pre-emptive arrest in UK history, as part of the increasing drive to stifle real action on climate change. We planned not only to stop carbon emissions from Ratcliffe but to be part of a much wider movement for global social justice. Dealing with climate change means looking at its root causes and we need to question why the profits of corporations such as e.on are being prioritised over people on the front line of our changing climate and the protection of our children’s futures.

In the 3 weeks we’ve been on trial over 17,000 people have died from the effects of climate change, species have continued to disappear and a few energy CEOs have continued to line their pockets. It’s the poorest and most vulnerable communities, those least responsible for this crisis, who are being hit the hardest.

Taking action on climate change is not an act of moral righteousness, but of self-defence. History is full of ordinary people who have acted to protect their fundamental rights and we need a strong movement of people doing just that. We want to reiterate our support for everyone fighting for climate justice.

International headlines

BBC

Copenhagen police detained climate protesters illegally

The Guardian

Danish police ordered to pay protesters compensation for 'illegal' arrests

Washington Post

Danish police ordered to pay over summit arrests

The Swedish Wire

Police illegally arrested 250 climate protesters

AP

Danish police to pay over summit arrests

Reuters

Danish court rules climate summit arrests illegal

Politiken

Mass COP15 arrests deemed illegal
Justice minister to explain police incitement

Dansk pressedækning af masseanholdelserne

Pressemeddelelse her:
http://www.climatecollective.org/post/167

Opsummering af dommen fra byretten

Københavns politi dømt til at betale erstatning for 250 ulovlige frihedsberøvelser under COP 15 i december 2009

Pressedækning (opdateret 17/12 kl 01)

Politiken

Lømmelpakken må laves om efter klar demo-dom

Nye erstatningssager på vej mod politiet

Kriminalredaktør: Politiet gik klart over grænsen under COP15 video

Advokat: Dommen mod politiet er krystalklar (ritzau) video

Advokater: Domstol giver politiet dumpekarakter

Her er de 250 ulovlige klima-anholdelser

Byretten: Masseanholdelser var ulovlige

DR

Masseanholdelser var ulovlige

Modkraft

Masseanholdelse i strid med menneskerettigheder

All mass arrests during COP15 last year declared illegal by Copenhagen City Court

The City Court of Copenhagen ruled today that the all the mass arrests during the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009 were illigal and the police have to pay 9.000 DKK in damages to the protestors, who have complaint so far. The verdict declares that all the preventive arrests from the 11th to the 16th of december 2009 were illegal, and so the actions of the police during the COP15 is not accepted by the court.

Nearly 2000 people were preemptively arrested last year during the COP15 Climate Summit in Copenhagen. 250 of these people have complained and have sued the police for unlawful arrest and detainment. The case can set important precedence in Denmark, and has been going on since spring of this year.

Knud Foldschack, the lawyer for some of the complainers that were arrested on the 12th of December, said:

“The events on the 12th of December 2009 have damaged the reputation of Denmark abroad. A lot of internationals came to Denmark to demonstrate with an expectation that Denmark was a country where you don’t have to fear the police. They were deeply disappointed."

Today the Copenhagen city court condemned the actions of the police. Knud Foldschack says:

“This verdict is a clear signal to the Danish Parliament that they should stop degrading legal rights in Denmark, in order to comply with international conventions such as the European Convention on Human Rights.”

The verdict is a relief to those people who were preemptively arrested during the Climate Summit. Nina Liv Brøndum, who was arrested the 12th of December said:

*“This is a really important outcome, it means that people don’t have to fear getting randomly arrested when they go to demonstrations, which many of us experienced during the Climate Summit. It was a very rough experience, not only because we were treated cruelly but because we were denied our most fundamental rights.”

Questions about the appeal and verdict should be sent to:

Klimakollektivet media@climatecollective.org Tlf: (+45) 50 27 19 86

For more information and statements, please contact the office of the laywers Foldschack and Forchhammer at (+45) 33 44 55 66

If you were preemptively arrested during the Climate Summit in Copenhagen in 2009, but never complained, please contact the Danish legal group RUSK. If they win the court case, then there might be a possibility to get compensation as well, even though you were not part of the lawsuit. Email kontakt@rusklaw.org (please specify name, address, nationality, and date, place and time of the arrest)

Background:

Nearly 2000 people were preemptly arrested during the Climate Summit COP15 in December last year. At the demonstration the 12th of December, which garthered more than 100.000 people, almost a 1000 people were arrested in the biggest mass arrest in Danish history. One of many to criticize this has been Amnesty International, which in an annual report criticized the excessive abuse of power by the police. Now 250 people from Denmark, Sweden, England, and France have complained about the preemptive arrests and the behavior of the police.

Danish police commanders order the police to assault the press during the COP15

Recordings from Danish police radio communications show that a Danish police commander encouraged police officers to assault members of the press during the COP15 Climate Summit in Copenhagen outside of the conference center on the 16th of December 2009.

The radio communication between the police was recorded and is now part of a Danish documentary about the COP15 protests which premieres today on Danish television station DR (http://www.dr.dk/pirattv/nyheder/en-klima-krimi/). The film follows the two climate activists Stine and Tannie, who acted as spokespersons for Climate Collective and Climate Justice Action. Last month they were convicted of planning to disrupt the public order and violence against the police as part of these demonstrations.

Read about their case here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/nov/25/copenhagen-climate-activists-found-guilty

According to the recordings (http://politiken.tv/nyheder/indland/ECE1143276/indsatsleder-i-hugger-bare-til-dem/, English translation here: http://www.climatecollective.org/post/165), the police were instructed to take control of one of the demonstrations’ vans on which people gave speeches and spread information to the protestors.

Beat up the press

The cops were repeatedly told to beat up the press:

“I know that there are a lot of press in the front, but they are at the risk zone, it's their problem...” says the police commander

Later the message is even more clear.

“There are media between the cars – they will get the same fucking treatment”

Both The Danish Union of Journalists and Amnesty International are heavily criticizing the statements by the police.

Background

See photos of the demo here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/dec/16/reclaim-power-march-copenhagen?INTCMP=SRCH

And video here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2009/dec/17/copenhagen-climate-change

Critical articles about police behavior from COP15:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2348634 http://www.cphpost.dk/news/international/89-international/49071-amnesty-blasts-denmarks-cop15-policing.html