Personal accounts from Copenhagen

Two members of York Friends of the Earth joined thousands of people from across the world on the streets of Copenhagen in colourful and powerful demonstrations to call for a strong and fair Climate Change Deal in December 09.

Bryony's account:

I joined 250 people from FoE in the UK and Stop Climate Chaos on coaches to Copenhagen. We stayed in a school with FoE groups from all over Europe, so there was a great atmosphere. I also got to share a room with Helen Baxendale, of Friends and Cold Feet fame, who had come along to try to help get the demonstrations a bit more media attention - she's very nice!

In the morning of the demonstrations, we all gathered at the Klimaforum: the People's Climate Convention, which was running workshops, speakers, discussions etc. for the duration of the international talks - a great place to find people and information from across the world, and relatively cheap food in the notoriously pricey Danish capital.

The Flood is here...

With our bright turquoise ponchos at the ready we moved into a nearby square for a rally with speakers from various different Friends of the Earth organisations around the world, the leader of FoE International, and a wonderful Filipino lady speaker from a worldwide women's organisation.

We then "Flooded" through the streets, singing, chanting, blowing whistles (sorry to anyone I deafened doing that!) and dancing to music from a samba band. We stopped along the route to do multiple Mexican waves. All great fun, and very friendly.

The morning's march ended outside the Danish Parliament buildings, where more and more different groups from all over the world gathered, until there were an estimated 100,000 people overflowing from the square. It was nice to see FoE working in coalition with Via Campesina - the sustainable food and farming group that is less well-known in the English-speaking world, but big in French and Spanish-speaking countries, and particularly Latin America. There were so many interesting, fun, moving and clever props, banners and costumes that people had made.

Jennie's day didn't end quite so well:

The beginning of the demonstration in Copenhagen was the best I've ever been to. There was a real feeling of a global gathering, of people from all backgrounds, countries and movements coming together with the same demand. There was so much dancing and music and an amazing atmosphere with inspirational speakers.

Police aggression

I was near the back of the FoE group, with some WWF bears and Hare Krishnas. As we came towards one street, dancing and singing we were suddenly blocked in by riot police and vans. It was a strange moment - the contrast of aggression and silence from the police and energy and positive vision from people in the march. I and a few of the people managed to get out, but others (including the back end of our cow prop!) didn't and were arrested with 900 entirely peaceful people for wanting to have their voices heard. I'm still very angry at the police aggression towards peaceful protesters, whilst the accelerating damage to the planet continues unabated.

We reached the Bella Centre after everyone else had packed up except a few people dancing round fires, some Germans holding a sweat lodge ceremony and some bored looking police officers. It was almost like a moated castle, remote, cut-off from the surrounding people.

Some solace

The other days were spent at various protests and discussions at the Klima Conference. That was where I found some solace, in hearing from all the groups and organisations and people from around the world with so much passion, knowledge, determination and skill. There are many people with a positive vision of the future that doesn't include devasting climate change, we must make connections and work together.

I was so upset at the outcome of the conference, our leaders have let us down. But from the people I met out there I still believe there is hope in us.