Copenhagen: mass arrest on demo, timeline, how to get in to DK, COP15 radical news aggregator, climate radio

CJA press release:
Copenhagen Police Accused of Violating Human Rights at UN Summit

Sat 12 Dec

mass arrests Denmark-styleCJA press release:
Copenhagen Police Accused of Violating Human Rights at UN Summit

Sat 12 Dec

Danish police have indiscriminately arrested hundreds of climate justice activists during a climate change protest made up of 100,000 people that took place today in Copenhagen. Questions have been raised about the fact that the arrests occurred in a different time and place to where some trouble had momentarily flared earlier in the day. Journalists have been restricted from reporting at the site of the arrests since 1800hrs.

It’s estimated that 100 people are still being held on the road in extremely cold weather, cuffed and forced into seated positions in lines (1). They have expressed severe physical discomfort and have no access to water, medical attention or toilet facilities since 1530hrs. Many activists are reported to have urinated themselves while detained on the ground.

An estimated 200 have been removed from the site and taken away in coaches. Several people are reported to have fainted around 1945hrs.

Helga Matthiassen, who was detained for an hour before being released due to an injury she had recently sustained, said, “Of course we’re angry – people all over the world are angry about being lied to by governments who are making a corporate deal at the climate talks, and now when we try to protest against this on the streets we are randomly held by police.

“Not only have we been denied the right to protest, but our basic human rights have also been ignored in this ludicrous, staged police exercise. It seems Danish Police have a new motto: why just criminalise protesters, when you can dehumanise them too?” (2)

ENDS

Contact: 0045 5066 9028 (International)
0045 4129 4994 (Danish)
media@climate-justice-action.org

_______________________________________

NOTES TO EDITORS
(1) http://twitpic.com/t7dts
(2) See Helga interviewed on TV2 News, 2015 broadcast http://news.tv2.dk/?channel

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Video

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At the demo in Copenhagen on the 12.12.09, some demonstrators smashed in the windows of the Stock Market, also the ministry of foreign affairs had its windows broken.

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Timeline

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COP15 EASIER access to Denmark and COPENHAGEN

The Danish and German police forces and the intelligence services (PET, FE, BND) of both countries, and probably also some other countries, “violence services” has made it more difficult to enter Denmark in order to avoid political activist to enter the country and join the demos at COP15 etc.

BUT, there are more, perhaps, less controlled borders to Denmark, they follow below, and also warnings against the more controlled border crossings.

DONT TRAVEL THROUGH:

Copenhagen Airport or Billund Airport

and;

The land border crossing at PADBORG, KRUSÅ, in other words AVOID any land border crossings in Jylland!

TRAVEL BETTER THROUGH THESE CROSSINGS
(so far):

RED ROUTE ONE;
Travel to Rostock in Germany (old DDR), best by train/bus/car, then jump on the ferry (SCANDLINES) to GEDSER port in Denmark, less heavy controlled, at the moment.

Then jump on the train/bus to Copenhagen, takes two hours.

RED ROUTE TWO;
Travel to Helsingborg in Sweden, best by train/bus/car, then jump on the ferry (SCANDLINES or HH-ferries) to HELSINGØR port in Denmark, less heavy controlled, at the moment.

Then jump on the train to Copenhagen, takes one hour.

Or take the local train to Hillerød (half an hour) and then the S-train to Copenhagen, 40 mint. travel time.

RED ROUTE THREE;
Travel to Oslo in Norway, take the ferry direct to Copenhagen (DFDS).

RED ROUTE FOUR;
Travel to Bornholm, then by ferry to Køge, then S-train to Copenhagen (half hour).

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aggregating radical news about Copenhagen

iCOP15

Report your news from the streets of Copenhagen on http://indymedia.dk.
Report from actions worldwide at http://climateimc.org and/or at you local IMC.
Any feed missing? Check on http://icop15.org/feeds.

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Climate Radio is filing daily audio bulletins from inside the Bella Centre where the most important talks in human history are happening. During the second week we’ll also have reports from the street actions and parallel People’s Summit aka Klimaforum. Copenhagen Daily has a running time of 60 minutes

EF! Rome – action @ Ara Pacis, Rome, Italy / National newspaper press

Earth First! Rome press:

EF! Rome - action @ Ara Pacis, Rome, Italy / bannerEarth First! Rome press:

All’alba di sabato 12 dicembre un gruppo di attivisti di Earth First! Roma hanno scelto l’Ara Pacis Augustae come cornice per il proprio appello ai leader presenti al vertice Copenhagen. Abbiamo infatti colorato la fontana dell’Ara Pacis di verde e affisso uno striscione sul muro di fronte a via Tomacelli che recitava “Earth First! Act Now”. Riteniamo non più derogabile un vero impegno sul fronte ambientale che evidentemente non può limitarsi alla tassazione delle emissioni di co2 ma che deve risolvere tutti i nodi della crisi ambientale mondiale e nazionale: rifiuti, consumo del territorio, OGM, viabilità.
“Prima la Terra, Agisci ora!”

At sunset of Saturday 12th December a group of Earth First! Rome’s activists had choosen the Ara Pacis Augustae as the right place for their call to the leaders at G20 of Copenhagen. We had coloured the Ara Pacis’s fountain with green and put a banner on the wall in front of Via Tomacelli where it was written “Earth First! Act Now”. We believe that a truly engagement on the ambient front can’t be derogated much longer and can’t concern only on the taxation of co2 emission but also has to resolve the problema of global and national crisis of ambient: garbage, the waste of territory, OGM, road network.
“Earth First! Act Now!”

AGENZIE RIPORTATE DAI GIORNALI/NEWS FROM ALL NATIONAL NEWSPAPER: (ITA)

CLIMA: ROMA, ECOLOGISTI TINGONO DI VERDE ACQUA FONTANA ARA PACIS

Roma, 12 dic. (Adnkronos) – Dopo il Colosseo anche l’Ara Pacis e’ stata fatta oggetto di un’azione dimostrativa da parte di una non meglio precisata organizzazione ecologista. Intorno alle 6.00 del mattino, infatti, ignoti hanno incollato un manifesto di circa 2 metri di lunghezza al muro esterno dell’edificio Meier, sotto la scritta ”Ara Pacis Augustae”, e tinto di verde l’acqua della fontana antistante il piazzale.

Il manifesto recava in inglese la scritta ”La Terra prima di tutto. Agisci ora” (”Earth first. Action now”), che lascia pochi dubbi sulla matrice e lo scopo del gesto, che cade in coincidenza con il vertice mondiale di Copenhagen sul clima. I funzionari e gli addetti al Museo, immediatamente intervenuti, hanno rimosso in pochi minuti la scritta e svuotato la fontana, per evitare danni permanenti alla struttura.

In relazione a quanto accaduto, il Sovraintendente ai Beni Culturali del Comune di Roma, Umberto Broccoli, ”invita chi manifesta in questo modo le proprie, pure condivisibili, preoccupazioni per le sorti del clima del pianeta a farlo con maggiore senso civico e nel rispetto dei monumenti di Roma e di quanti lavorano per la loro tutela e valorizzazione”. Ulteriori indagini, grazie all’esame delle registrazioni filmate del circuito di videosorveglianza, potranno dare maggiori informazioni sugli autori e le modalità del gesto.

ARA PACIS, COMUNE: BLITZ ECOLOGISTI, TINTA VERDE ACQUA FONTANA
“Dopo il Colosseo anche l’Ara Pacis è stata fatta oggetto di un’azione dimostrativa da parte di una non meglio precisata organizzazione ecologista. Intorno alle 6 del mattino di sabato 12 dicembre, infatti, ignoti hanno incollato un manifesto di circa 2 metri di lunghezza al muro esterno dell’edificio Meier, sotto la scritta ‘Ara Pacis Augustae’, e tinta di verde l’acqua della fontana antistante il piazzale”. Lo rende noto il Campidoglio. (omniroma.it)
(12 dicembre 2009 ore 16:11)

IL MATTINO, 12/12/09:
Manifestazione all’Ara Pacis. Un manifesto di circa 2 metri con la scritta in lingua inglese «La Terra prima di tutto. Agisci ora» è stato incollato stamani al muro esterno dell’Ara Pacis, e l’acqua della fontana del monumento augusteo è stata colorata di verde. I manifestanti fanno parte del movimento ecologico ‘Earth First’. I funzionari e gli addetti al museo hanno rimosso in pochi minuti – spiega una nota del Campidoglio – la scritta e svuotato la fontana, per evitare danni permanenti alla struttura.

Our Climate, Not Your Business Demo +Medic Arrests

11 December 2009

11 December 2009
This morning at 10am climate activists gathered at Nytorv to take part in the Don’t Buy the Lie march to take direct action in protest against corporations taking part in Cop15 [report].  Leading police a merry dance, protestors moved en masse up Rosenørns Allé to the Copenhagen ‘Forum’ venue, which is hosting the cynical green-washing Green Business expo during Cop15. The message to the corporations was to stop turning the saving of our environment into yet another business opportunity in which carbon credit trading, tar sands and CCS are the order of the day.

People were blocked several times by police but also managed push through and around several attempts by police to block their path. In total there is reported to be over 60 arrests, although it is unclear how many are just preventitative arrests where the people will be released after up to 12 hours. What is clear is that police targeted the Street Medics, arresting 11 of them before the demonstration, and threatening them that they would be deported if they were found on the streets again [report]. Many activists were stopped and searched outside the convergence centre / sleeping space at Ragnhildesgade [photos]. There were also several reports of people being searched throughout the city [2], with some arrested for having things like spray paint or items that could be used to cover faces. Earlier in the day the fire service also told Ragnhildsgade accommodation space that part of the building could not be used for sleeping. Meanwhile more people are travelling to Copenhagen ahead of the other protests and events scheduled for the next week.

[See Indymedia Full Timeline #1] [Photo Reports 1 | 2] [Video] [KanalB Video] [Graswurzel.tv Video] See also [Modkraft timeline | en] [icop15 Aggregation]

Video interview With Angelica Navarro – Bolivian Negotiator | Video: Climate Pirates Arrive | Climate Radio Show #4 | Climate Chronicle Newspaper #3 Pdf

The First COP15 Actions Taking Shape

10 December 2009

11th Dec: For latest news coverage of events see Timeline Reports | Live Video from Cop15live | Modkraft.dk Timeline (dk)

Climate denial conference disrupted10 December 2009

11th Dec: For latest news coverage of events see Timeline Reports | Live Video from Cop15live | Modkraft.dk Timeline (dk)

From “the inside”:
The climate actions started last night with fifty American activists taking over a conservative hosted climate denier conference. Today activists created a “climate storm” inside the Bella Centre and spoke against “suicide pacts” for low-lying nations, that would be destroyed by unchecked climate change. Yesterday the climate summit halted, when one of these threatened nations, Tuvalu, demanded commitment to a legally-binding agreement.

At the borders:
The police has been more active controlling the borders around Denmark, for instance near the German city of Flensburg, but it’s still possible to enter Denmark. There are also reports of people have been rejected through to Denmark from Sweden.

In the streets:
The cops in Copenhagen are generally quite active patrolling and stopping and searching people at several climate active points, when they aren’t just harassing people with paint.

While being a quiet day, the police hasn’t been on the slow side with breaking legislation by making deals with Danish offices regarding surveillance data of public roads.

Yesterday’s feature

For more coverage see: Climate Justice Chronicle Newspaper Issue #2 | Democracy Now! Broadcasting Daily | OneClimate

Copenhagen Getting Ready for COP15 Protests

10.12.09

The Trade and Climate Caravan [more] will finally arrive tonight to Copenhagen [report], meanwhile hundreds of activists are already in town putting the final touches to different aspects of the mobilisations [2]. Police also seem to have stepped up their activity, and in a move apparently designed to harass protestors they raided the Ragnhildgade accomodation space in the early hours of 9th December [Feature | Press Release], a few days after a raid at activist housing in Teglholmen.

COP 15 gears logo10.12.09

The Trade and Climate Caravan [more] will finally arrive tonight to Copenhagen [report], meanwhile hundreds of activists are already in town putting the final touches to different aspects of the mobilisations [2]. Police also seem to have stepped up their activity, and in a move apparently designed to harass protestors they raided the Ragnhildgade accomodation space in the early hours of 9th December [Feature | Press Release], a few days after a raid at activist housing in Teglholmen.

Meanwhile protests have already started in Copenhagen. On the opening day of Cop15 there was a Die-in protest at the Bella Center along with many interventions from different goups demanding Climate Justice. Naomi Klein spoke at the opening event of the Klimaforum, saying “Let’s not restrict ourselves to polite marches and formulaic panel discussions” [report + video]. The second day of Cop15 saw protests by African groups and others following the leeking of the so-called ‘Danish text‘[2].

On wednesday, the Summit negotiations were suspended after interventions by Tivalu and other small Island states and their supporters, while youth activists took over a live webcast of climate change denial.

Information about the intended policing of the Danish borders is also becoming clearer. Borderwatchcop15 reports about police controls on the motorway near Flensburg, as well as reports of coaches getting into Copenhagen being stopped and searched. But this is not discouraging people from travelling to Copenhagen, nor is it stopping activists from setting up infrastructure in the city itself: the Be The Media / Indymedia Media Centre has now been set up and it is open for business, a First Aid Cop15 group has been set up, as well as Street Medics, a Trauma Support Group [more], infopoints and accomodation [see google map 1,2].

For more coverage see: Climate Justice Chronicle Newspaper | Democracy Now! Broadcasting Daily | OneClimate

See also:

Anthill Mob reinforce anti-expansion message during Copenhagen climate talks, London City Airport

8/12/2009

London City Airport sloganned8/12/2009
Activists in east London have painted two mega-messages against growth in aviation – and flights at London City Airport in particular – to coincide with the Copenhagen climate summit. One message saying, ‘Still climate criminals!’ is written in giant letters on the top of a 60ft hill situated just south of City Airport, which planes pass directly over.

“It’s a message to the delegates flying to and back from Copenhagen,” explains Elsie Wai, spokesperson for local anti-expansion group, the Anthill Mob. “The conscientious will be taking the train but the selfish will be flying. We’re reminding the selfish delegates that they’ll remain climate criminals until they start thinking green.”

The group are also angry about London City Airport’s continuing attempts to increase business and private flights. The airport currently has approximately 80,000 commercial flights a year but aims to increase this to 170,000 by 2030. “That means more pollution, more global warming and more misery for local people,” says Elsie.

The Anthill Mob’s second message is written in 10ft high letters along the boundary fence of Tate & Lyle’s sugar refinery – situated beside the Docklands Light Railway approach to the airport. The message reads: ‘Drop the sweet talk: no flight expansion at City Airport.’

“You only have to look around the area next to the airport to see that it is in terminal decline,” says Elsie. “The airport has made millions in profits but all we get in return is more noise and pollution. Pretty much everything at City Airport is automated. As it stands, a tiny number of people benefit from employment at the airport while the wider community and the climate suffers.”

Cases of asthma and child mortality are already above the national average in the borough of Newham – where the airport is based. Expanding the airport means a massive increase in pollution which will further blight one of the poorest areas in London.

Autonomous Pixie Action in Solidarity with Mainshill

In the early hours of Monday the 7th of December a drilling rig and other machinery was sabotaged at Mainshill Solidarity Camp. This action was taken by a group of autonomous people in solidarity with all those who oppose the development of Mainshill Wood into an open cast coal mine.

In the early hours of Monday the 7th of December a drilling rig and other machinery was sabotaged at Mainshill Solidarity Camp. This action was taken by a group of autonomous people in solidarity with all those who oppose the development of Mainshill Wood into an open cast coal mine.

Actions such as these are not mindless acts of vandalism, but valid responses to corporations like Scottish Coal and their blatant disregard for life and communities of people everywhere. Such acts damage the rich and wealthy in the only place that matters to them – their wallets. As life on earth is threatened in every direct by the blind pursuit of profit, we look not to politicians in Copenhagen for indecision, but take matters into our own hands.

Burning coal undermines the very ability of human beings to live on a healthy vibrant planet, a right our ancestors enjoyed and our children should inherit. Yet the climate is changing, the oceans are acidifying, and hundreds of species go extinct every single day because of the greed of a few. Let’s not stand idly by and watch while so much beauty is plundered and destroyed!

There is no time to act but now. Come to Mainshill Solidarity Camp and send your own message to Copenhagen!

climate actions – tar sands, Santas at City Airport, Carbon Trading Exchange camped, Santas at BT (updated)

Climate Activists Tell Canada: Don’t Cop Out On COP 15!

On Monday 14th of December, campaigners from the UK Tar Sands Network and Camp for Climate Action protested outside Canada House in London and shut down Pall Mall Street in Trafalgar Square to protest against Canada’s attempts to derail the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen.

Tar Sands London bannerClimate Activists Tell Canada: Don’t Cop Out On COP 15!

On Monday 14th of December, campaigners from the UK Tar Sands Network and Camp for Climate Action protested outside Canada House in London and shut down Pall Mall Street in Trafalgar Square to protest against Canada’s attempts to derail the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen.

Canada is one of the biggest current stumbling blocks to an ambitious and binding climate deal – because it continues extracting oil from the most destructive project on earth, the Tar Sands. [1] This protest will take place in solidarity with similar protests in Copenhagen itself and several Canadian cities.

The Tar Sands in Alberta, Canada, are one of the world’s most polluting projects and are having a devastating effect on the lives of Indigenous communities and fuelling global climate change. Currently in Copenhagen, Canada is proposing an inadequate target for reducing greenhouse emissions by only 3% by 2020 ignoring world scientists’ recommendations to commit to over 40% reductions below 1990 levels in order to avoid dangerous runaway climate change. As a result, international criticism of Canada is mounting. Last week, a group of 11 Members of the European Parliament called on the leaders of BP, Shell, Statoil and Total companies to halt production of oil from the tar sands. [2]

“Canada has already spectacularly failed to meet its Kyoto Protocol targets and has shown no signs of changing its priorities in Copenhagen. Instead of making the necessary shift to a low carbon economy, the Canadian government continues to approve new Tar Sands leases and is refusing to co-operate with international efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. This affects the whole world,” says Suzanne Dhaliwal of the UK Tar Sands Network, who will be at the London protest.

“The Canadian government continues to ignore its own laws, which state they must consult with Indigenous Peoples who have been trying to convey concerns about Tar Sands development. Tar Sands are killing our communities and trampling over our rights. Furthermore, the environmental destruction wreaked by the Tar Sands is directly threatening thousands of lives now and is driving our climate into chaos. The world has woken up to the fact that Canada is now Public Climate Enemy Number One. It’s time Canada did its global duty and shut down the Tar Sands,” says Clayton Thomas-Muller, an Indigenous activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN), who is participating in the parallel Tar Sands protest in Copenhagen.

UK campaigning against the Tar Sands, in solidarity with IEN, has focused on BP which plans to enter the Tar Sands through the massive ‘Sunrise Project’ and the Royal Bank of Scotland, now 84% state-owned, which has invested £8.3 billion in the Tar Sands since 2007 according to new research by the Rainforest Action Network.

The “Canada:Don’t Cop out on COP” action will start in Trafalgar Square, which has been occupied by the Camp for Climate Action [3] for the duration of the Copenhagen negotiations as a base for UK based solidarity actions. Campaigners will then move onto Canada House to deliver their message to the Canadian government.

[1] See the Indigenous Environmental Network’s Canadian Indigenous Tar Sands Campaign, www.ienearth.org/cits

[2] http://www.tarsandswatch.org/members-european-parliament-appeal-companies-stop-tar-sand-business

[3] The Camp for Climate Action is a growing grass-roots movement of diverse people taking action on climate change. http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/about

UK Tar Sands Network
tarsandsinfocus@googlemail.com
http://tarsandsinfocus.wordpress.com

Climate Refugee Santas in City Airport Protest
Get the Train you Wankers placardMade Homeless banner
6 December 2009
CLIMATE CAMP PRESS RELEASE:

REFUGEE SANTAS VS POLICE AT LONDON CITY AIRPORT

20 Climate activists dressed as Santa Claus were pushed out of London City Airport departures lounge today by police and security guards. Presents of cartoon books about the problems with carbon trading, carbon ration books, and toy trains were left undelivered. These were meant for the passengers on the final flight to Copenhagen before the COP15 climate talks begin.

The Santas’ photographer was arrested. The activists managed to publish a picture of the arrest on Twitter (1) along with another image of the Santas in action (2)

The activists sang Climate Change-themed Christmas carols, including “Silent Plight” and “God Rest We Merry Carbon Traders”, in the airport lobby.

A Santa Claus said: “The hypocrisy of flying to the Copenhagen talks is unbelievable. It just goes to show that for the politicians and corporate lobbyists in Copenhagen, these talks are no more than business as usual.

“If governments agree a deal based on false solutions like carbon trading, I shall have to take direct action by getting stuck in a whole lot more chimneys”

Video


Carbon Exchange

7th December: 11.30am This morning protesters from the Climate Camp have blockaded the entrance to the European Climate Exchange in Bishopsgate, London [see video].

The COP Out Camp Out at Trafalgar Square was set up on Saturday after the massive Wave climate demonstration ahead of the Cop15 climate conference which starts today in Copenhagen.

The European Climate Exchange in Bishopsgate was the target and location of the Climate Camp during the G20 protests back in April.

For updates see: http://twitter.com/climatecampldn
Video http://www.twitvid.com/19342


BT Santa die-in
Santa visits BT and exposes coal investment
November 30, 2009

This morning a team of Santa’s arrived at the BT offices in Bristol Temple Quay to expose the truth behind the companies pension scheme. BT pensions are funding coal mining in South Wales, where Merthyr Tydfil hosts one of Europe’s largest opencast coal mines. BT Pension Scheme owns a company called Hermes who own Argent, of Miller-Argent fame – the company who operate the mine. Staff pension money is secretly being spent on coal mining.

No wonder it came as a surprise when Santa came to visit…

Arriving at the BT offices at Temple Quay in Bristol this morning, Santa Claus came to say a great big festive NO to coal.

Santa and his helpers descended upon offices after finding out that BT pension schemes are paying for the massive mining operation at Ffos-y-Fran near Merthyr Tydfil in South Wales – one of Europe’s largest open cast coal mines. The mystery people in red say they are raising the issue with BT workers, letting them know where their pension money is being invested.

The bemused staff seemed happy to be greeted by the singing santas as they arrived for work, but looked concerned with the news of their employers dirty investments.

A jovial woman clutching a handful of Christmas cards said “with the climate talks in Copenhagen coming up, the world’s eyes will be on politicians struggling to come to terms with the threat of climate change.

We want the employees to know that their money is being invested in coal mining in Wales, worsening the effects of climate change. It is up to them to hold BT accountable for their actions”

The Ffos-y-Fran mine is less than 40 metres from the nearest homes and residents lives are blighted with noise, dust and pollution. Merthyr Tydfil was the site of the Climate Camp in Wales earlier this year, supporting local residents who have been fighting against the mining operations.

Santa and his helpers handed out Christmas cards and sung carols to people as they arrived for work today, explaining why they have come to visit.

“Coal is the most climate wrecking way to produce energy. Really, if we want to stop the worst effects of climate change we need to stop digging it out of the ground and invest in green technologies instead”

“I’m here because I’m seriously worried about my home back in the Arctic” said Sam, one of the Santa’s. “With predicted temperature rises, we’ll become refugees and the reindeer are notoriously fussy about where they live”.

Email – info@climatecampcymru.org

Notes:

· BT are linked to coal in the following way-BT own BT Pension Scheme (BTPS) who in turn own a company called Hermes who administer the BT pension fund. Hermes bought the development group Argent (of Miller-Argent) who run the mine at Merthyr Tydfil.

· Ffos-y-Fran, located next to Merthyr Tydfil, is one of the biggest coal mines Wales has ever seen. Over the 15 year lifetime of this new opencast mine, more than 10.8 million tonnes of coal will be extracted. Burning this will release 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – at the same rate each year as the entire country of Mozambique!

· Local people have been opposing the mine for years. More than 10,000 people signed a petition opposing the mine. Despite this amazing level of opposition, the Welsh Assembly Government, encouraged by Westminster, gave the go-ahead to the mine.

· Climate Camp Cymru is Wales’ Camp for Climate Action – inspired by the Climate Camp movement taking action on climate change in the UK and worldwide. The Camp is committed to education, sustainable living and supporting direct action against the root causes of climate change.

· Coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel there is – responsible for 50% of the CO2 added to the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution, and 40% of CO2 emissions globally. Enough of it remains in the ground, if burned, to take us to a substantially different planet from the one we know today – and which has existed throughout all of human history.

http://www.climatecampcymru.org

Minorca Opencast Protest Group

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group has been formed to oppose plans already submitted by UK Coal plc for an Opencast Coal Mine between Measham and Swepstone in Leicestershire, England. The application was submitted in July 2009, but has yet to be decided on by Leicestershire County Council (as at 7/12/09).

Minorca Opencast Protest Group logoThe Minorca Opencast Protest Group has been formed to oppose plans already submitted by UK Coal plc for an Opencast Coal Mine between Measham and Swepstone in Leicestershire, England. The application was submitted in July 2009, but has yet to be decided on by Leicestershire County Council (as at 7/12/09).

You can find out more about our campaign by logging on to:

http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/minorca-protest.html or http://mopg.co.uk/

Climate Camp sets up at Trafalgar Square

Update: The Camp will hold the space for the entire conference, reclaiming one the busiest locations in the world to push for genuine solutions to climate change. So, if you’re not off to Copenhagen then this is the place you need to be. Bring your tent, warm clothes, and ideas for action!

December 05, 2009

within the first hour of occupation, around 250 supporters arrived in the square and 20 tents established. many more are on their way. there are 2 giant manned tripods with the ‘capitalism is crisis’ banner flying between them. a yurt has been erected as well as various other shelters, a kitchen, and storage area. the first wood fires are alight, and the mood is excited and optimistic despite the damp conditions. there’s a sound system for announcements and music, and the ‘rinky dinky’ system is making it’s way up from parliament square too.

climate camp in Trafalgar SquareUpdate: The Camp will hold the space for the entire conference, reclaiming one the busiest locations in the world to push for genuine solutions to climate change. So, if you’re not off to Copenhagen then this is the place you need to be. Bring your tent, warm clothes, and ideas for action!

December 05, 2009

within the first hour of occupation, around 250 supporters arrived in the square and 20 tents established. many more are on their way. there are 2 giant manned tripods with the ‘capitalism is crisis’ banner flying between them. a yurt has been erected as well as various other shelters, a kitchen, and storage area. the first wood fires are alight, and the mood is excited and optimistic despite the damp conditions. there’s a sound system for announcements and music, and the ‘rinky dinky’ system is making it’s way up from parliament square too.

there is a full two days of workshops and other activities planned, and visitors are welcome to the square to find out what the issues and possible solutions are.

Timeline

Groups cycled to London, stopping off spreading awareness about climate change, such as Climate Chains who came down from Leeds & elsewhere (more info here too)

What to bring
Simple. Just a tent, warm and waterproof clothes. Oh, and all your friends!

Wish list
Vegan food, blankets, tarps, pallets, party/frame tents, cardboard,
banners, big water bottles + anything else you think may be helpful…

Press release:

Hundreds of climate activists have set up a Climate Camp at Trafalgar Square in the run up to the COP15 talks in Copenhagen next week.(1)

The ‘COP out, Camp out’, organised by a group of people who met at the Camp for Climate Action in Blackheath this summer (2), is taking place after thousands of people marched through the capital as part of ‘The Wave.’(3)

Tracy Worthy from the Camp for Climate Action said: “We are here with the Parliament in view to highlight that the elitist and undemocratic talks in Copenhagen are part of a political and economic system that puts corporate profits before the needs of people. We need system change, not climate change.”

“The false solutions being pushed in Copenhagen, such as carbon trading, will not solve the climate crisis. For the bankers, corporations and politicians who brought us the financial crisis, Copenhagen is no more than business as usual.”(4)

The location of the camp was kept secret until the last minute, when the target was announced through mass text-messaging. The activists met up at Jubilee Gardens (outside the Shell Building) and marched on to Trafalgar Square. Tracy Worthy commented, “The camp will be a space for people to get inspired and prepared for taking action during the COP15 talks.”

END

Contact: 07040 900 905
Photos: 07909 020 847
press[@]climatecamp.org.uk