Some 1,500 protestors attempting to enter the Bella Center in Copenhagen, where officials are trying to put together an international deal to combat climate change, were beaten back by police with batons and tear gas.
Vowing to stage a ‘people’s assembly’ inside the Bella Center in a march dubbed ‘Reclaim Power’, protestors never made it inside. The Bella Center is in lockdown with no one allowed to enter or exit the building. Approximately 230 protestors
“We hope to make people understand that there is great urgency here that the leaders do what they must, but that if they don’t people will continue to struggle to change the system. Many of us have come to the conclusion that nothing will come from these talks. But the struggle will not stop here,” Lidy Nacpil a protestor with Jubilee South told the Guardian
“This summit is just letting Africa die,” protestor Alexander Lassithiotakis also told the Guardian expressing a view of many activists that the conference has sidelined nations most vulnerable to climate change in favor of the wealthy and powerful.
Activists earlier this week criticized police tactics saying that protestors were held for hours, handcuffed outside in freezing conditions, without access to toilets, food, water, or medical facilities.
Related articles
Well-known climate change denialist labels activists in Copenhagen ‘Hitler Youth’
(12/15/2009) Prominent climate change denialist and past advisor to Margaret Thatcher, Viscount Christopher Monckton, has persisted in labeling protestors in Copenhagen ‘Hitler Youth’ despite little historical connection.
African nations return to the negotiating table after walkout in Copenhagen
(12/14/2009) African nations that staged a walkout during negotiations at the Climate Change Conference at Copenhagen have returned to the table, according to the BBC. African nations accused industrial nations of attempting to throw out the Kyoto Protocol.
Islands and African nations present toughest treaty yet to combat global warming
(12/09/2009) Led by the small island state of Tuvalu, developing nations particularly vulnerable to climate change have put forward the most ambitious plan yet to mitigate climate change. Their move has split them from usual partners, such as China, India, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, who are concerned about the economic consequences of the proposal.