Press release of the Climate Justice Action Network, 18.12.2009
Climate activists: “Hope fades on Copenhagen, but climate justice movement grows in strength”
At
the end of their final meeting in Copenhagen, climate justice activists
declared today that while the COP15 talks are in disarray,
demonstrators have successfully moved towards building a strong
international movement for climate justice.
The week has seen
mass protests by thousands of activists from southern and northern
countries which culminated in the “Reclaim Power” action on Wednesday
the 16th. This included a Peoples’ Assembly for climate justice.
Ed
Thompson from Climate Justice Action commented: “Those people who have
been silenced and shut out of the COP process from the start have had
their voices heard in this forum outside the talks, setting a radically
different agenda from rich countries and the corporate lobbyists
inside.”
POLICE RESPONSE
Many accredited delegates were prevented
from joining the Peoples’ Assembly by Danish police, who repelled the
delegates with baton blows. Eriel Tchekwie Deranger from the
Indigenous Environmental Network said: "The UN didn't want information
from those on the inside being conveyed to those on the outside,
especially by strong voices from the global South."
Nineteen
climate justice activists remain under arrest. Three spokespeople for
the group Climate Justice Action are charged with article 1034A,
conspiracy to cause breach of the peace. A demonstration for the
release of the climate justice prisoners is to be held at 3pm today
from Israel Plads to Parliament.
Natalie Swift from the group
commented: “The police want to silence our voices and criminalise our
activities – but the movement for climate justice just took a big step
forward.”