Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Reclaim Power! Action at COP15

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At 18:00 there will be a press conference by CJA in the grey room of klimaforum. One of the topics to be addressed is the arrests of 4 media spokespeople before and during the Reclaim Power actions. The police are targeting spokespeople and thereby limiting freedom of speech.

Today's Reclaim Power action held a people's assembly outside the COP15 Bella centre calling for Climate Justice after protestors marched to the conference and tried to breach police lines (call for action, press release, video). 

Multiple marches tried to make their way to the Bella Centre where the COP15 is held. The group meeting at Orestad station (Green) was surrounded by police and some were arrested [pic], but others managed to move towards COP15. A second block (Blue), of more than 1000 people, made their way to the Bella Center whilst resisiting attempts from the police to break it [Video 1 | 2 | 3 | 4]. The bike block was blocked by police and redirected away.

Police have been repeatedly attacking the crowds with baton charges and pepper spray, as well as arresting protesters throughout the morning, and arresting medics [police line]. Corporate media report 200 to 250 arrests. Following yesterday's arrest of Tadzio Muller after the Climate Justice Action press conference, at least one more CJA spokesperson was snatched out of the crowd during today's Reclaim Power! protest.

Meanwhile at the COP15 Friends of the Earth, Avaaz and Via Campesina were refused entry despite aquiring a second accreditaton. Delegates staged a sit-in protest [pic, video], whilst 200 others from NGOs, indigenous people and the Global South marched out [Pics 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | video] but police with batons and pepperspray prevented them from reaching the People's Assembly. An hour later a protest broke into the COP15 plenary with the slogan "Climate Justice Now!", and the Indian delegation burned its badges [vid].

The People's Assembly took place at midday outside the Bella Centre [Pics 1], without those from inside the Bella Centre - they were prevented from getting out. After speeches the assembly decided to move towards the centre [vid] of town, while the police have been snatching people, and blocking progress intermittently.

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