14/12/09: Tar Sands & No Borders protests.

For latest reports see: Indymedia Timeline 14th December 2009
Previous days' reporting: 10th, 11th, 12th & 13th December 2009 

Following on from the actions from Hit the Production and Via Campesina of the 13th December, the day has started with a protest at the Canadian Embassy in Kristen Bernikows Gade about the Canadian Tar Sands [report]. At the same time a group of international activists staged a protest against the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) who were having their annual general meeting in central Copenhagen. [report & pics | more pics]

Then at 11AM a NO BORDERS demonstration meeting at Israel Plads, Vesterbrogade, has proceed to march to the via Nørre Voldgade and Gothersgade, where around 1,500 protestors formed a solid block enclosed by people with arms linked in front of the Danish Ministry of Defence at Holmenskanal 42, near Holmens Bro. Speeches were given around the fact that "Climate Change is an issue in terms of migration because the Global South is suffering and the borders are trying to repress them". The protest then crossed Holmens bro bridge and moved on to Slotsplads where it continued as a solid bloc.

In Slotplads the demonstrators succeeded in untethering a large orange balloon advertising the COP15 process. [videos 1 | 2] The police struggled to keep it tied down, but it was eventually liberated. The police then moved in and most of the crowd dispersed, although some were trapped there by a police kettle. Eventually the crowd managed to break out of the kettle and crossed Knippel Bro onto Torvsgade. The main body of the demo then moved towards Chrstiania followed by a large number of riot police who eventually left the demo alone. Once the demo arrived at Chrstiania the crowd dispersed in high spirits. But later in the evening, when people was attending a pre "Reclaim Power party, police attacked Christiania wtih tear gas and batton charges arresting a number of people [video]

See video reports direct from the demo:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11| Photos: 1 | 2 | 3

For latest reports see: Indymedia Timeline 14-12-2009 | Other timelines: Motkraft Denmark (en), Motkraft Sweeden (en) | La Haine (sp)

The morning's protest at the Canadian Embassy was called by the Indigenous Environmental Network, the Rainforest Action Network, the Council of Canadians, the Indigenous Peoples Power Project, and UK Tar Sands Group to protest about the planet's most destructive industrial project, which is destroying the habitat and culture of Canadian First Nations peoples whilst tipping Canada's carbon footprint completely over the edge.

News is also coming out of the official Summit. The BBC is reporting that the "negotiations at the UN Climate Summit have been suspended after developing countries withdrew their co-operation" [full article] The G77 chief negotiator Lumumba Di-Aping explained the latest development with the following statement: "The president of the COP (Danish climate minister Connie Hedegaard) is absolutely committed to violate any democratic processes".

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