Danish police arrest 35 climate protesters

COPENHAGEN: Danish police on Friday arrested 35 anti-capitalist climate protesters as a preventive measure due to suspicions they may commit illegal acts, a police spokesman said.

The 35 Danes and foreigners, members of the "Our Climate - Not Your Business" group, were taken to a detention centre set up especially for the UN climate conference and could be held for up to 12 hours without charges being pressed, police spokesman Rasmus Bernt Skovgaard said.

Police also arrested five other people for various misdemeanours, Skovgaard said.

Some 250 youths belonging to the group demonstrated Friday at various locations throughout Copenhagen amid a heavy police presence in the Danish capital.

The demonstrations, which were not authorised, dissolved after a few hours.

"What we want is to say 'no' to criminal corporations responsible for climate change and which only want to save the planet now because it's in their business interest," one of the young demonstrators, who only identified himself as Thomas, said.

The movement wants to halt "the business world's influence on the climate talks," he said, adding that "corporations are not a part of the solution."

Friday's demonstration was the first protest held since the start of the climate talks on December 7 and which are to continue until December 18.

Police were out en masse on Friday, patrolling the streets as other unauthorized protests were expected.

A large demonstration expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters was scheduled to take place on Saturday, and police have warned it could turn violent.
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Danish-police-arrest-35-climate-protesters-/articleshow/5327319.cms