Copenhagen: Clashes Erupt as Deadlock ContinuesDanish police on Wednesday kept thousands of protesters from entering the venue where the United Nations climate talks being held. A police spokesman said 250 people were arrested at various points in Copenhagen, one day before the arrival of heads of state such as US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, China's Hu Jintao, Russian president Medvedev.
Near the Bella Centre, I saw four people being arrested. At exactly midday, approximately 500 policemen began moving in on a protest that they had declared illegal.
The protest at the Bella Centre was organized by the Climate Justice action network, a Danish group that has coordinate several demonstrations. They had permission for a peaceful protest, but also announced plans to break through the barriers around the centre.
The protesters wanted to hold what they called a âPeopleâs Summitâ inside the venue at one oâclock, together with non-governmental groups taking parts in the COP15 talks. Several NGOâs, including Friends of the Earth, ... Distributed by Tubemogul.