SSC international

Long before I came to Copenhagen for the climate talks, I knew I would be taking part in the Bike Bloc. Ever since I read The Nation’s article, “Seattle Grows Up”, I chose this action as one I would direct my energies towards. Why? My love of competitive cycling intertwined with environmentalism has transformed me into a bike to work lover and alternative transportation enthusiast. But I come from a traditionally conservative atmosphere at a southwest Virginia University where critical masses are considered radical and silly. I’ve always secretly craved the visibility and awareness that wild outspoken critical masses have brought to the West Coast. Have you seen the new 60 Seconds to Mars music video? Yea I wanted to live that dream in Copenhagen. Plus I wanted to put the fun between my legs, as the Bike Bloc slogan called for. My love of the bicycle was further solidified this past summer when I participated in the Trek to Re-Energize America. I like to think that I helped build a movement from the seat of a bike during this phenomenal cross-country bike ride to Congress to demand passage of strong climate legislation, primarily the house bill; American Clean Energy and Security Act. There’s even talk of a 2010 summer ride being organized, if you want in! Perhaps this one will focus on passing a Senate climate bill, if nothing is to come of this spring.

The Bike Bloc Action was the first demonstration for Wednesday’s the 16th of December Reclaim Power day of action. The civil disobedience was also known as the People’s Assembly. See a video of the protests here. The night before the action, after the Gogol Bordello concert at Hopenhagen Live, it was best to spend the night out in Ragnhildgade, a free activist housing space, with my newly made Danish friends. The graffitied warehouse housed over 1000 international activists and was a main grounds for climate action planning. (For a full list of COP15 actions see: the Mobilization for Climate Justice website). A Danish culture house project in the making, the Candyfactory, was the collective that rented out the free space.

The morning of the action was a crazy time. With forecasts of a blizzard, Wednesday’s Reclaim Power action and Bike Bloc was going to be a feral day. I arrived at the Candyfactory (<-great video of UK activists building bikes for Bike Bloc!) with my Danish friend where hundreds of bike frames lay collecting snow. As a city of cyclists, Copenhagen is also home to many abandoned bikes. These 200,000 forgotten bikes a year, collected and compiled from around the city by UK activists, were then fixed and put to use for the Bike Bloc action. I excitedly picked up a maroon colored cruiser built by Kildermode, a local Scandinavian bike brand, and we began our journey to the critical mass. Since we had woken up late, we cheated and rode the metro with our bikes for some of the way in order to catch up. In passing the Bella Center via metro, we gingerly peered over the train and instantly noticed the thousands of Copenhagen Politi (Danish for Police) surrounding the conference. We grew slightly squeamish, but reassured when we remembered the Bike Bloc action was going to be a peaceful demonstration.

A hop, skip and jump away from the Bella Center, we joined up with a few other Bike Bloc stragglers and anxiously waited for the hundreds of cyclists on their way. As we rode around the bloc(k), nearly a mile away from the Bella Center, Danish police were eyeing us. They knew why we were there. As part of the new laws Copenhagen passed prior to COP15, under the new Police Act, police could arrest anyone “suspicious-looking” in their judgement with no evidence, for up to 12 hours. Unbelievable. Suddenly, the ten or so cyclists and I became a target for police deemed suspicious activity. Our homemade signs reading “There is No Planet B” and DIY clothes were dead giveaways. Slowly but surely, Police vehicles began following our tracks of two wheeled solidarity. The group tried to maneuver away from the police hotspot, but the police had already made their decision. Sadly, we weren’t going to meet up with the larger critical mass. Soon, from all directions, vehicles honed in on our small group of cyclists. It was only a matter of time before we were trapped.

Bikes confiscated, cold bottoms from sitting on the snowy cement, wrists tethered behind our backs with Ziploc ties (they must’ve ran out of handcuffs), we sat calmly in the now blistering blizzard. My heart pounded even though I knew I had done nothing wrong. I was less scared than anxious to experience climate justice ground zero. Finally when a woman police officer arrived at the scene, I was thoroughly patted down and searched. I was speechless when she pulled out my Bella Center pass from my inner most shirt. I thought I had hidden that well, apparently not. I became worrisome about getting my delegation in trouble. I felt sick to my stomach. Later while being detained in my activist holding cell, I learned that hundreds of NGO delegates had also taken part in the People’s Assembly and were now detained, their Bella Center badges temporarily taken away. Serves UNFCCC organizers right, of course NGO delegates would transition to outside actions since their rights as public observers had been shamelessly taken away.

The actual process of becoming detained was a sluggish process. While waiting to get in the police vehicles to activist jail, we chatted and joked with the Danish police officers. The police even admitted that they were on our side about the urgency of climate change and need to act, but simply their job was to maintain high security because prime ministers and heads of state were now streaming into the conference, President Obama being of utmost security. I didn’t blame the police, I recognized the many potential trouble makers in Copenhagen and anti-capitalism hate that some activists at COP15 possessed. It was the same police security that led to blockading the McDonalds during the Global Day of Action. Unfortunately, those that seek to be destructive during demonstrations often times ruin it and change the messaging. It’s a reason why many people think actions do more harm than good. Without a clear strategic peaceful message, chaos can take hold.

All our belongings finally contained in clear baggys and in police hands, we waited until we could get into a warm vehicle out of the unbearable below freezing cold. Now friendly with the police, I asked one of them if they’d take a picture of us so I could continue documenting my experience. He chuckled, took out my camera and snapped a shot. Perhaps to some it was humiliating, but I believe it was necessary so I could include the picture here and write this blog post. Furthermore, I was not ashamed of being arrested.

After finally being transported to a holding room, one by one we were mugged shot and taken to our holding cells. I politely asked the policeman who escorted me how long he thought we’d be detained and he replied only a few hours. A few hours in my mind, means three or more, but I did not anticipate that three hours to turn into ten.

The rest of the day in the specifically constructed COP15 activist holding cells became a valuable and unforgettable life experience. I got exactly what I wanted, climate justice ground zero. My cell, a 10×10 steel barred cage was one of many in a hefty warehouse. I entered my new home around mid-morning. The two girls in my cell starred at me at first when I entered, but instantly became friendly and spoke excellent English. We revealed and shared our stories of how we detained and shared perspectives on climate change. My cellmates were Swedish and Danish. They couldn’t believe I had come all the way from America until reluctantly I told them I was a delegate in the conference. I was afraid they would think I was too good for them if I revealed I was with an organization. It was silly. My cellmates were actually more receptive and curious when I told them I was accredited with the Sierra Club and had been inside the Bella of the Beast.

More girls filed into my cell throughout the day as more and more were arrested at the People’s Assembly. Now all around me, NGO youth delegates, anarchists, students, people of all backgrounds filled the holding cells to the brim. Being detained with hundreds of activists was no depressing event. Two English girls from Cambridge with remarkable singing voices in the cell next to mine, began chanting empowering songs from historical movements. I felt tingly all over. As the two girls led the chant, everyone joined in. It was a powerful feeling of solidarity. While initially inspiring and peaceful, angry trouble makers would occasionally cause chaos. The ten hour stay in the holding cells was a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Boys banging on the bars and breaking some of the cell side walls lead to police frustration and relocation of detainees. Hands down, we were an unruly crowd full of young idealistic energy and passion. Our loud chanting, while empowering many, was ultimately a reason for police to hold us for so long. I became wary and took naps throughout the day. Later in the evening, I got word that males activists in the corner of the warehouse had acted aggressively and intimidated police had sprayed pepper spray. We all began coughing. It was a little scary, but didn’t phase me. The police weren’t evil, they’re just people too. And all people make mistakes.

It had been a lot of hours, I had lost track. My stomach was rumbly. My Swedish cellmate told me it had been at least 6 hours. Now fully realizing that my delegation was probably completely in the dark about my whereabouts, I read the sheet of paper police had given us about our rights. In it, read the following:

“You are allowed one phone call while being detained…but to expedite the process of release…police may refuse your phone call.”

My Danish cellmate saw me reading the section and told me that she had asked for her phone call and had been refused the right. With the unruly detainee atmosphere and full to the brim warehouse I figured it was fruitless and gave up on the initiative.

More time passed by, and to our delight, we were given sandwiches for dinner. Turkey sandwich meat, red peppers and Danish cheese. Not bad. An angry vegan English girl in my cell was livid when they had no vegan alternatives though.

An hour or two after food coma had taken its toll, whispers circulated that we were to be released soon. I was ecstatic. As the first detainees left the warehouse, cheers reverberated throughout the warehouse, even though the release was another sluggish process. After everyone was escorted to a Politi bus, we were transported to the closest S-train and officially released into the darkness of the night and enduring blizzard. I wrote down contact information of the friends I had made with promises to stay in touch. We had endured 10 hours together in a 10×10 living space. I knew I’d forever feel this bond. I felt enlightened by the international array of perspectives I had listened to and came away stronger.

Overall, being detained was quite the adventure. I do not look at it as a negative experience. Whether or not my part in the Bike Bloc Action was effective or not is debatable. I was not lucky enough to become the official Bike Bloc and be part of a massive critical mass, however I did put the fun between my legs. I met the Cops at COP. I took up space in a crowded climate activist holding warehouse so police could not stop the People’s Assembly and arrest everyone. I walk away from my Copenhagen climate justice ground zero adventure as someone who has felt the international grassroots energy and pressure to act on climate change growing. The global community is hungry for change. I love it.