Copenhagen Climate Summit: Strong Mood Against Capitalism - and Its Police Force —

[asdjrocky]

— Almost 1,000 Arrested, Only 3 Charged

Dec 14, 2009
By Elin Gauffin, Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna

The climate demonstration in Copenhagen on 12 December, with over 100,000 participants, was the biggest climate protest ever. It had a strong anti-capitalist character. "We chanted ‘Climate Justice’ and ‘Save the planet - smash the system - what we need is socialism’. People along the demo applauded us and we sold many papers and other material," reported CWI members.

The demo also showed extreme police brutality against almost 1,000 demonstrators.


We thought the demonstration would be big. Many people we met the week before said that all their friends would be going. Over 100,000 took part, a breakthrough for the climate movement. Simultaneously, there were 3,000 demonstrations around the globe. While the so-called world leaders at the UN summit can only fail, this rank and file movement has huge potential to grow.


Demonstrators from Friends of the Earth, dressed in blue, conducted a "flood" with thousands of people. There was also a giant snowman from Greenpeace, lifebuoys from Oxfam, kangaroos, sumo wrestlers and polar bears. Parties with contingents included, apart from RS/CWI, the Danish Red-Green Alliance (Unity List), Socialist People´s Party and the French NPA, plus some communist parties. The demo was dominated by yellow and black placards from the organisers, saying ”Save the planet not the profit”, ”There is no Planet B”, ”Blah Blah Blah – Action Now” and ”Nature doesn't compromise”.

The rest-
http://www.socialistalternative.org/news/article11.php?id=1218

[asdjrocky]

1. Not sexy, I know.

But it is truly a peoples movement.

[The2ndWheel]

2. Socialism needs as much unsustainable growth as capitalism

Since both are economic systems where the people in them need jobs.

If anyone thinks humanity will regulate itself, go ask Exxon to do it. See what happens.

[asdjrocky]

3. Not when the profit is truly divided among the workers.

What we can't sustain is a few hundred guys making millions and millions every single year for doing nothing for society. That is absolutely unsustainable.

Of course humanity will not regulate itself, I know of no one advocating for that.

[The2ndWheel]

4. Still trapped

If everyone didn't believe that what a few hundred guys have is wealth, then people wouldn't have to worry about what those few hundred guys were or were not doing for society. That would undermine everything though. We have this obsession with what those few hundred guys have. It makes no sense when you think about it. Sort of like a map. It's completely arbitrary, but everyone thinks that a north, a south, an east, and a west actually exist. We think the digits on a screen, or the green tinted pieces of paper are real. It's as much our greed, as their greed. It's doesn't have to be. So it's not so much about changing the system, as it is about getting a piece of it. Still playing the game made up by a few hundred guys, so you're always going to lose, but at least you get the home version of the game as a consolation.