Copenhagen summit: 600 arrested at climate change protest

[FarCenter]

More than 600 people have been arrested at a demonstration against climate change in Copenhagen today.

What started as a peaceful demonstration calling for action on climate change, descended into rioting as hundreds of masked youths threw bricks and smashed windows in the Danish capital.

Police in riot gear arrested between 600 and 700 people, who were cuffed and forced to the ground, before being taken away in vans.

The scenes were in stark contrast to the rest of the colourful demonstration, which had progressed peacefully.

<SNIP>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/copenhagen/article6954510.ece

[ananda]

1. hmm..

Paid infiltrators?

[FarCenter]

2. European anarchists

[Bjorn Against]

4. How do you know they are anarchists and not infiltrators?

Are you just speculating or are you able to provide a link which tells us a bit about the backgrounds of the people who were arrested?

[FarCenter]

5. In the article, it says ---

Police believe the rioting was started by members of a northern European group known as Black Blocs, who were accused of provoking street violence during a Nato summit in the French city of Strasbourg last April.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_bloc

[Bjorn Against]

6. I have been to enough protests to know you can not always trust the word of the police

I will wait for evidence before I automatically assume the police are telling the truth, I have seen them make mass arrests before and they always claim they are doing it to stop the anarchists.

[Bjorn Against]

3. Is there video of this happening...

Until I see video I am going to assume that there were only a few causing problems but there was a mass arrest of hundreds of mostly innocent people. Mass arrests happen at protests far too often and the police always try to justify it with something, most of the time however the vast majority of people rounded up in mass arrests are rounded up for political reasons.

[leftstreet]

7. There are a few at youtube

But not necessarily 'mass arrests.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJmdTryHChE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoNkPdKNhuY

[Bjorn Against]

8. Thanks, I didn't see hundreds of violent protesters in the first video...

I did see some police violence, but I didn't notice anyone breaking windows. I have to leave now, but I will watch the second one when I get home. Thanks.