12.13.2009

"pre-emptive" arrests in copenhagen; miller: "as a canadian, it's embarrassing"

Toronto Mayor David Miller:
In Copenhagen, the "Day of Action" saw some activists dressed as polar bears or pandas as they walked from the Danish parliament to Cathedral Square in the host city for the 12-day conference. Among the Canadian demonstrators was Toronto Mayor David Miller.

Miller is one of more than 100 mayors from around the world and three from Canada who will convene in Copenhagen next week to talk about what their cities are doing to curb climate change.

"I'll tell you — here in Copenhagen everybody's talking about the Canadian government and how it's getting in the way of negotiations," he told CBC News over the phone. "And as a Canadian, it is embarrassing."

Later in the CBC story, emphasis added:
As night fell on Copenhagen, police said they rounded up more than 600 people in a preventive action against a group of youths dressed in black at the tail end of the mostly peaceful demonstration.

Beware youths dressed in black! They must be rounded up for the good of the people! (What would they do in New York? Round up everyone under the age of 50?)

But in all seriousness, 600 people are pre-emptively detained, and the cops come right out and say this, all in a day's work. The CBC story says 1,000 protesters were arrested and doesn't even mention why. This is so commonplace now, no one even bothers to explain it.

Here's Maude Barlow's first-hand account, from Rabble:
I was in the march that had more 100,000 people demanding climate justice and action. Suddenly, an unprovoked and very military-style police action took place. Hundreds of young people were surrounded by police in riot gear with dogs. They were forced to sit for hours on the cold ground with their hands tied behind their backs. There was no provocation for these arrests. I'm outraged at this treatment of legitimate protesters and the media's distorted reporting of it. If anything, we should be thanking these young people for having the courage to stand up for the kind of world that will help our planet and species survive. It's their future that is in jeopardy and they have more of a right than anyone to be heard.

This is so deeply disturbing: the global fascist shift.

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