Protest groups have expressed shock at police tactics in Denmark which saw thousands of people ‘pre-emptively’ arrested for the crime of joining protests to pressure world leaders on climate change on 12th December.
The Climate Justice Action group has issued a condemnation of the unprovoked police actions while other groups are planning on launching an official complaint regarding the inhuman treatment of prisoners.
Nearly a thousand people were arrested on one day alone at a giant march in Copenhagen, with protesters being picked off by police, corralled and then held without access to toilet facilities or clean water.
Around 100,000 people marched in Copenhagen, while 90,000 turned out for a walk against warming in Australia.
Of those arrested, all but 13 were released, however on the following day, another 200 were arrested, with police using the ‘illegal’ nature of the march as an excuse to round up anyone they felt might be a troublemaker.
Police have wide powers to declare large gatherings of people illegal, which in turn gives them the ability to arrest people who try to exercise their right to protest.
Protesters at the event are attempting to pressure national leaders to make commitments to keep CO2 emissions to below 350 parts per million – the maximum level which climate change scientists say the planet can get away with.
However there are major differences between what rich and poor nations are asking for.
