Call for Solidarity actions with the accused COP15

Icon_article Udgivet: Wednesday 11 August 2010 12:24 af Climate Collective

Tagget som: cop15
Område:

Events in Copenhagen:
August 18th, solidarity demo, 5pm, Christianshavns Torv
August 31st, show solidarity to the two defendants in the final day of the trial - 4pm, Nytorv, outside the courthouse

On the 18th of August there will be a solidarity demonstration in
Copenhagen to mark the trial of the first two people accused of
'organizing' the protests around the COP 15. We urge everyone to spend
the day or the following days on demonstrations and statements of
support and solidarity - demonstration and manifestations outside
Danish embassies, press work and articles - all are welcome and
appreciated

During the climate summit in Copenhagen, around 2000 people were
arrested preventively and held in custody while they were trying to
get their voices heard. These people along with thousands of other
activists from around the world were trying to set a different and
more just political agenda in the climate debate.

Approximately 20 people were detained for up to a month, out of which
four people are faced with trials this autumn.* These people are
accused of charges including planning violence against police,
systematic vandalism and serious disturbance of public peace and
order. Some of these charges are drawn from the Danish terror package
and the penalties are strenghtened by the new Danish anti-protester
laws introduced just prior to the COP 15. The charges they face are
unfounded, but can still potentially result in years in prison.

During COP15 thousands of people from around the world gathered in
Copenhagen to challenge the farcical political negotiations at the
Bella Center and demand just solutions to the climate crises. We
demonstrated for solutions that are not only favouring the rich
western world. We protested for real solutions which are challenging
the capitalist system, because this system has a constant focus on
growth and profit that is obviously not able to solve the climate
problems.

This dawning climate justice movement was met with antipathy and
arrogance of power from the Danish government, which was reflected in
the form of a massive police repression. During 2009 the Danish
government and the Danish police carried out an intense scare campaign
in the media to demonize protesters and activists. Police were given
extra power and economic resources for the COP 15. This led to
thousands of preventive arrests, month-long surveillance of telephone
and raids of private homes and accommodations, and grotesque and
unnecessary detentions.

The police actions were completely out of proportion and a clear
violation of our democratic rights. Their actions attempted
criminalization of our right to organize ourselves politically. It was
made clear that any movement that dares to challenge existing power
structures and demand political changes are not welcome in Denmark
today. Instead of listening to the massive criticism of the
negotiations, the Danish government revealed a hypocritical lack of
interest in solving the climate problems. And now the Danish state is
trying to make four individuals responsible for a whole movement's
collective decision-making and collective protests.

In our view - the right to protest and everyone's right to be heard,
is an essential element in a democracy - even if you are speaking
against the existing capitalist system. We therefore call on everyone
to show solidarity with the accused and make the criticism of the
ongoing
processes visible.

We would like to receive information and documentation of any actions
you take to collect on our website.

The coming trials is not just about the fact that innocent people
might be convicted, but about everybody's fundamental right to
demonstrate, protest, take action and organize politically. It is
important that we do not sign away these rights, but continue the fight.

In Solidarity - The Climate Collective

www.cop15repression.info or www.climatecollective.org
email: cop15repression@climatecollective.org

* The four accused are: Natasha Verco, Noah Weiss, Stine Gry Jonassen
and Tannie Nyboe. Natasha and Noah's trials are on the 24th, 25th and
31th of August, and Stine and Tannie's trials are on the 6th, 27th
and 28th of October. The prosecution case against the Danish state
about the preventive arrests are on the 23th and 30th of August and
the 1st of September.

Solidaritet med de anklagede COP15 aktivister

18. august - Soli demo, kl. 17.00, Christianshavns Torv

Den 18. august vil der være en solidaritetsdemonstration for at
markere fortsættelsen af retssagen mod de første to personer der er
anklaget for at organisere protesterne i København under klimatopmødet
i december. Vi opfordrer til at bruge dagen eller de følgende dage til
manifestationer og støtteerklæringer - Læserbreve, pressemeddelelser,
underskriftsindsamlinger, demonstrationer - Alt er velkomment og
værdsat.
Send os meget gerne information og dokumentation så vi kan samle det
på vores hjemmeside.
Den 31. august når der forventes at være faldet dom i sagen, mødes vi
udenfor Københavns byret kl. 16:00 for at vise vores opbakning og
solidaritet med de to.

Under klima topmødet i København blev omkring 2000 mennesker
frihedsberøvet, mens de blandt tusinder af andre aktivister fra hele
verden forsøgte at få deres stemmer hørt og sætte en anden politisk
dagsorden i klimadebatten. Cirka 20 personer blev varetægtsfængslet,
hvoraf 4 personer skal for retten i løbet af efteråret*, anklaget for
at have planlagt vold mod embedsmand i funktion, hærværk og grov
forstyrrelse af den offentlige ro og orden. Anklager der er uden hold
i virkeligheden, men som potentielt kan give flere års fængsel. Nogle
af anklagerne udspringer fra den danske terrorlovgivning og flere er
blevet skærpet med indførelsen af -Lømmelpakken- umiddelbart før
klimatopmødet. Gennem anklagerne forsøger staten at gøre
enkeltindivider ansvarlige for en hel bevægelses kollektive
beslutningsprocesser og kollektive protester.

Under COP15 samledes flere tusinde mennesker fra hele verden i
København for at udfordre de useriøse politiske forhandlinger i Bella
Centret og kræve retfærdige løsninger på klimaproblemerne. Løsninger
der ikke kun tilgodeser den rige vestlige verden og som udfordrer det
kapitalistiske system, der med sin konstante fokus på vækst og profit
tydeligvis ikke er i stand til løse klimaproblemerne.

Denne gryende klimaretfærdighedsbevægelse blev mødt med modvilje og
magtarrogance fra den danske stat, hvilket kom til udtryk i form af en
massiv politirepression. I gennem hele 2009 udførte den danske
regering og det danske politi en intens skræmmekampagne i medierne for
at dæmonisere demonstranter og aktivister, samtidig med at politiet
fik tilført ekstra magtbeføjelser og økonomiske ressourcer. Dette
førte til tusindvis af præventive anholdelser, månedlange aflytninger
af telefoner, overvågning og ransagning af private hjem og
overnatningssteder samt groteske og unødvendige anholdelser og
varetægtsfængslinger.

Politiets handlinger, der var helt ude af proportioner, var en
krænkelse af vores demokratiske rettigheder og en kriminalisering af
vores ret til at organisere os politisk.
Det blev gjort tydeligt, at en bevægelse der tør udfordre de
eksisterende magtstrukturer og kræve politiske ændringer ikke er
velkommen i dagens Danmark. I stedet for at lytte til den massive
kritik af forhandlingerne, afslørede den danske stat en hyklerisk
mangel på vilje til at reagere på klimaproblemerne.

I vores øjne er retten til at protestere og alles ret til at blive
hørt en essentiel del af et demokrati - også selvom der tales i mod
det eksisterende kapitalistiske system. Derfor opfordrer vi alle til
at vise solidaritet med de anklagede og synliggøre kritikken af de
igangværende processer.

De kommende retssager handler ikke bare om at uskyldige personer måske
bliver dømt, men om vores allesammens grundlæggende ret til at
demonstrere, protestere, aktionere og organisere os politisk. Det er
vigtigt at vi ikke giver afkald på disse rettigheder, men fortsætter
kampen.

I Solidaritet - Klimakollektivet

www.cop15repression.info eller www.klimakollektivet.dk
email: cop15repression@climatecollective.org

* De 4 anklagede er: Natasha Verco, Noah Weiss, Stine Gry Jonassen og
Tannie Nyboe. Natasha og Noah skal for retten den. 24., 25. og 31
august, og Stine og Tannie skal for retten d. 6., 27. og 28. oktober.
Anklagesagen mod staten omkring de præventive anholdelser er den 23.
og 30. august samt den 1. september.