The Danish government is preparing new "anti-riot" laws in time for the United Nations-sponsored climate talks in Copenhagen.
Proposed changes to the police powers to arrest and detain climate protesters were announced on October 18. Indymedia Denmark said on October 20 it was likely the laws would pass through parliament before the conference begins on December 7.
Under Danish law, police already have the right to carry out "preventative arrests" if they suspect a crime may be committed in the future. The current "preventative" detention limit is six hours. The proposed new law would double it to 12 hours.
Those convicted of "hindering the authorities" also face much tougher penalties. Indymedia Denmark said a first-time offence normally results in small fine.
The new laws would punish those convicted with up to 40 days imprisonment.
Penalties for "vandalism in a situation where the public peace and order is
disturbed" are set to double — to a maximum sentence of three years. Fines for "breaching the peace" will more than quadruple.
In an August 10 statement, Danish police said: "Open-air meetings may be prohibited when it is feared that they may constitute a danger to the public order."
Face coverings or masks are strictly illegal. The police said they can legally break up any protest "after the crowd has three times been called upon to disperse in the name of the Queen and the law and such warnings have gone unheeded".
Tens of thousands of people are set to attend a series of demonstrations during the conference to demand urgent action on climate change.
Climate Justice Action has called a protest to coincide with the conference opening on December 7. Friends of the Earth International is preparing a "Flood for Climate Justice" on December 12, in which protesters will "flood through the streets of Copenhagen with our demands for climate justice".
The largest protest will be the December 12 "People First — Planet First" mass march, which is endorsed by more than 150 organisations worldwide, including Green Left Weekly.
Climate activists in Denmark have condemned the proposed laws and have appealed for international supporters to forward letters of protest to Danish embassies worldwide.
A letter from one Danish activist posted on the Another Green World blog on October 31 said: "These measures, if approved, will effectively criminalise protests involving any degree of peaceful civil disobedience … the law is aimed at the many thousands of climate activists, from all over the globe, who will be coming to Copenhagen.
"We therefore call upon the Danish government not to pursue this legislation and to allow protesters to demonstrate and congregate without police harassment."
An international petition has been launched in defence of the right to protest in Denmark. It said: "[The laws are] a threat to democratic participation during the summit and in the future. The new law package, if it's implemented, will cause polarisation, confusion, and promote passivity.
"This is not useful in the situation we are in, faced with the climate crisis."
[The petition can be signed at www.klima.blogsport.de.]