Scores arrested as climate protests turn violent

Danish police stormed the Copenhagen squat of Christiania on Monday, arresting 210 people, as protests turned ugly over the lack of progress at a critical climate summit in the Danish capital.

AFP - Danish police stormed a giant Copenhagen squat on Monday, firing tear gas and arresting 210 demonstrators who had set alight barricades, police said.
   
Police faced demonstrators' petrol-bombs as they moved in to tackle the blazes, as ministers from all over the globe gathered nearby to hash out a deal to tackle climate change.
   

Police with dogs entered the Christiania squat, detaining 210 people, police spokesman Henrik Suhr told AFP.
   
"We entered Christiania to pursue individuals who had built the barricades, set alight the fires in the streets and threw fire bombs at our police officers before taking refuge in Christiania."
   
A large number of Danish and foreign climate activists participated Monday in a party in Copenhagen's "free city" of Christiania, a refuge for hippies and artists since the 1970s.
   
A witness interviewed on TV2 News said police had blocked all the exits from Christiania and then fired tear gas and raided the tent where the party was taking place.
   
Those arrested were quickly placed into busses and taken to the special detention facility outside Copenhagen set up by police for the summit.
   
Police earlier Monday made 17 arrests at a rally attended by more than 1,000 climate activists demanding the opening of borders to climate refugees.

 

 

Date created : 2009-12-15