Police Search Ragnhildsgade Sleeping Space

03:30 There are reports that a large number of police (possibly hundreds) have in the early hours of this morning entered Ragnhildesgade accomodation space in Copenhagen. Details are patchy, but it seems police initially said they were there to search for items that could be used in civil disobediance and then that they were searching for illegal items. They also initially said they were not there to arrest anyone, although two large coaches were also there along with a large number of police vans (25-30).

There were approximatley 200 people at Ragnhildsgade at the time (2.30am), and some people were moved by police from the cafe into the accomodation hall.

The police did not have a warrent saying they did not need one. Someone went to show the police the legal rental papers for the building and there is an uncomfirmed report that that person was detained or arrested, others say they don't know whether this happened or not.

The search follows a raid on another sleeping place, Teglholmen, on 4th December when police detained and handcuffed 15-20 people. The raid was criticised as being an attempt to intimidate and harass climate activists. The police spokesperson Flemming Steen Munch later apologised.

See http://www.indymedia.dk/articles/1398
and http://modkraft.dk/spip.php?article12072

Stine Gry Jonassen from the Climate Justice Action Press Group had said about the previous raid: "The Copenhagen Police Department are well aware of our presence. So either they're very bad at communicating internally, or else this is harassment".