COP15 Repression
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The Climate Collective is a broad network of people and groups working to prevent catastrophic climate change.
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Support the Copenhagen Climate Defendants
Feb. 16, 2010
Climate Collective
A Call to Drop all charges of those arrested during the COP15
During the COP15 summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, the Danish police, under orders to "keep the streets clean" for the media spectacle of the climate summit, engaged in a campaign of intense repression against those who would make their voices heard in the streets, and take action for the climate. Exploiting existing legislation as well as the new Lømmelpakken, a package of repressive public order laws passed just before the summit, the Danish police preemptively arrested around two thousand people, tapped phones, spied on and raided private residences and sleeping places, and generally acted in a manner designed to stifle free speech.
Of the thousands arrested, only around 30 (less than 2 percent) were actually charged with a crime. Some of these people were kept in jail for over a month while awaiting trial or while "under investigation". Most of those held for such long periods of time were there on account of straightforward charges such as throwing a rock or resisting arrest, and have already gone to court, resulting in a number of not guilty verdicts or short jail sentences. However, 7 people (so far) are facing more serious charges. They are being accused of a variety of crimes, but all share the charge of planning to disrupt public order and planning to commit violence against the police.
The charges carry potential prison terms of several years.
The charges against these 7 people amount to identifying and criminalizing them as "organizers" of the protests, which were primarily actions of civil disobedience and permitted demonstrations. Regardless of who may have organized the demonstrations, it ought not to be illegal to organize to demonstrate and exercise ones right to free speech. These charges are being used to punish people who would dare to speak truth to power, and to scare other people away from organizing demonstrations in the future. The people charged with organizing are: Stine Gry, Natasha Vecro, Tannie Nyboe, Noah Weiss, Malthe Ege, Mads Kissow, and Tadzio Muller. Some are Danish citizens and residents of Denmark, others foreign nationals. Some were arrested biking down the street, others in their families' homes. Some had their homes raided and searched. Others had their phones tapped and movements monitored by a state that is more and more looking like a police state. Some are facing deportation, all are facing long jail sentences under the new rules of Lømmelpakken. But most importantly: all face charges of which they are innocent.
We therefore demand that the Danish government immediately drop all charges against those accused of organizing demonstrations, along with all charges remaining against all people arrested during the COP15. The charges are unfounded and are being used to justify the police's extreme exercise of power and scare people from using their freedom of speech and the right to organize.
No repression of free speech and protest! Drop all the charges!
Freedom for the Copenhagen Climate Prisoners!
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