[Gipfelsoli Newsletter] Copenhagen

[International Newsletter]

- Climate Imprisonments damage Denmark's reputation
- Thoughts of end of year from Denmark
- Peaceful Greenpeace climate protesters released after 20 days of imprisonment
without trial
- Deterring the demonstrators
- Stop-and-search powers ruled illegal by European court
- Belgium to step up security at EU summits

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Climate Imprisonments damage Denmark's reputation

Many demonstrations and protests against Denmark, "says Foreign Ministry

Manifestations, demonstrations and protests have hit Danish consulates and
embassies around Europe after the climate summit in December in Copenhagen,
said the Foreign Ministry.

It is a direct result of police arrests of climate activists in connection with
demonstrations during the summit and at least until the release of the four
so-called gala activists from Greenpeace last week.

“There have been manifestations especially in front of the Danish embassies in
Spain, Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland,” said Klavs A. Holm, who is
ambassador for public diplomacy at the Foreign Ministry.

More: http://www.gipfelsoli.org/Repression/Copenhagen_2009/8182.html


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Thoughts of end of year from Denmark

Letter from COP.enhagen of Luca Tornatore and of the other climate activists
still detained in the danish jails since the U.N. Climate Conference.

Something is rotten (but not just) in Denmark. As a matter of fact, thousands of
people have been considered, without any evidence, a threat to the society.
Hundreds have been arrested and some are still under detention, waiting for
judgement or under investigation. Among them, us, the undersigned.

We want to tell the story from the peculiar viewpoint of those that still see
the sky from behind the bars.

More:
http://www.globalproject.info/it/in_movimento/Thoughts-of-end-of-year-from-Denmark/3419


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Peaceful Greenpeace climate protesters released after 20 days of imprisonment
without trial

On December 17th 2009, a group of Greenpeace activists grabs headline news
around the globe by taking action during the Copenhagen climate summit.

Copenhagen , International — Danish police today released from custody four
Greenpeace climate protesters who have endured 20 days of pre-trial detention
in Copenhagen prison following a harmless peaceful protest staged on the
evening of 17 December. Their release comes a day in advance of their detention
being reviewed by a Danish judge. The four activists still face trial in the
Danish courts, and possible prison sentences.

More:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/releases/peaceful-greenpeace-climate-pr


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Deterring the demonstrators

Police tactics seen at the recent Copenhagen summit are undermining the right to
protest peacefully

Jonas Christoffersen

In the aftermath of the climate change conference in Copenhagen, a lot of
questions are being asked about the way police dealt with environmental
activists and demonstrators.

Connected to this is the case of the Greenpeace activists who gatecrashed the
state banquet hosted by Queen Margrethe II during the conference. They have
just been released after spending nearly three weeks in police detention.

Their detention was apparently prolonged because they used false number plates
to get past the security checks but one has to ask: was it really necessary to
detain these activists for so long for such a minor offence? Greenpeace is
after all a peaceful NGO which has a reputation for carrying out publicity
stunts of this nature. In a similar case in Belgium, the Greenpeace activists
were held for a mere 24 hours.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2010/jan/10/police-copenhagen


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Stop-and-search powers ruled illegal by European court

Police powers to use terror laws to stop and search people without grounds for
suspicion are illegal, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled.

The Strasbourg court has been hearing a case involving two people stopped near
an arms fair in London in 2003.It said that Kevin Gillan and Pennie Quinton's
right to respect for a private and family life had been violated.It awarded
them 33,850 euros (£30,400) to cover legal costs.

'Sloppy law'

Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 allows the home secretary to authorise
police to make random searches in certain circumstances.But the European Court
of Human Rights said the pair's rights under Article 8 of the European
Convention on Human Rights had been violated.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8453878.stm


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Belgium to step up security at EU summits

VALENTINA POP

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Belgian authorities on Wednesday (7 January) said they
will step up security at EU summits after being embarrassed by Greenpeace
activists who breached the system in December to stage a surprise protest.

“From now on, there will be two ways in: One for heads of government and another
for the rest of their delegations,” said Belgian interior ministry spokeswoman
Margaux Donckier, according to AFP.

More: http://euobserver.com/9/29220