Close the Camp: 5:09 to 7:15 PM

The Close the Camp demonstration retreated from the refugee center at Sandholm andreched Copenhagen by train closely accompanied by police, but with only few further incidents. Witnesses report unnecessary use of pepper spray, and police in full combat gear had a hard time finding room on the train... Also: this morning's interruption of train service was apparantly due to sabotage.

Check pics om modkraft.dk

7.15 PM: Train arrives without further incidents:

The train from Allerød Station has arrived without forther disturbance. At Nørreport Station a group of plaintclothes police got of together with demonstrators. The combat-clad police stayed on theh train until the Copenhagen central station, apparently without more trouble.

6.07 PM: Police insist on accompanying demonstrators on the train:

Three groups of helmeted police officers jave passed through the deminstrators and have asembled at a fence in front of the rails at Allerød Station.

In a tunnel thar the demonstrators have to pass through a grupo of about 10 have formed a blockade against plaintclothe spolice officers. But as the police are standing right in front of the chain, the demonstrators have to pass by them to get to the train.

It is unknown if the police are simply tying to demonstrate their authority or are there to snatch indiduals out of the group.

A single demonstrator has allegedly been arrested.

Thhe police are also insisting on taking the train to, but demosntrators are trying to shove them out. The officers are in full combat gear. Witnesses report that the officers tried to shove themselves into a fully loaded car three times, before moving on down the train.

The police are still on then train.

6.01 PM: Canceled trains due to vandalism:

It was conscios vandalism that paralyzed train service between Copenhagen and Hillerød fro several hours Saturday afternoon, says Chief of Information at Danish Rail, Inger Petersen, to Modkraft.dk.

Danish Rail will press charges with the police and call the situation “deplorable”. According to Danish Rail technicians, an optic fibre North of Lyngby was cut about noon, causing the interruption of train service between Lyngby and Hillerød.

The interruption affected thousands of people, and the sabotage happened just as several hundred demosntrators were on the way from the capital to Allerød to participate in anti-racist Close The Camp action.

– Is is sad if somebody consciously tried to stop our action. But they didn´t succeed, and we consider the day a succes, says Emil Nielsen of the Close The Camp press group.

5.58 PM: Demonstration reaches Allerød Station:
The demonstration is now back where i started at Allerød Station. The organizers have thanked for a “cool effort”. The police presence is massive.

5.52 PM:
Go, halt, go, halt: The demonstration is moving very slowly toward Allerød Station. The slow pace is caused by a power between police and demonstrators. Whenever police move right up to theh demosntartion, the demonstrators stop and only start moving when the police have backed off a little.

5.35 PM:
Demonstration reaches Allerød – attack from the rear:

The demonstration has now almost reached Allerød Station.

Four plaintclothes officers moved into the demonstration, allegedly to arrest a certain demonstrator. Immediately there upon police attacked the demonstration from the rear with police sticks.

This happened after an episode where a middle aged man had been involved in some shoving with the police. When police took hold of him he called for help and several demonstrators turned back, The police have now released the man.

It is allegedly to get this man that the police attacked the demonstration from the rear at Sortmosevej.

Now there is again space between demonstrators and police.

5.09 PM:
Demonstration halfway back:

The demonstration is now half way back to Allerød Station. Soruces report a tired but content mood. The number is estimated at 1.500 people.

Grandparents for Asylum are in front with therir banners.

A source in the demonstration reports an episode of totally unnecessary use of pepper spray by the police. This happened after the last big attack on the fence, where large amounts of tear hgas was fired at the demonstrators.

After the attack and the tear gas was over, a group of police officers stood around waving their cans of pepper spray. When a few straggling, exited demonstrators called out “So use them”, the officers took them at their word and fired – according to the witness without any need at all – into the faces of the demonstrators.

Kontakt-email: svengaarn@gmail.com