Climate protesters were 'treated like wild animals'

Two Britons were deported and more than 960 people arrested as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday.

Protesters accused police yesterday of arresting people indiscriminately and keeping them corralled in freezing temperatures for hours.

An estimated 100,000 people took part in the Copenhagen protest, which included a mass rally outside the country's parliament and a march to the conference centre.

The protests were largely peaceful, although some activists reportedly threw bricks and smashed windows.

Demonstrators were forced to the ground and then bundled into vans, according to reports.

World Development Movement director Deborah Doane said: "It's absolutely outrageous that the police responded in this extreme manner on an incredibly family friendly march.

"It's a complete violation of the right to protest and a step towards the breakdown of democracy.

"This is the most crucial issue of our time and the people must be heard, not criminalised."

A Copenhagen police spokeswoman said that two Britons had been deported for vandalism and spitting on a police officer during the protests.

About 960 people had been arrested during the demonstrations, she said.

Up to 100 people were handcuffed and forced to sit in lines on the road with no access to toilets, water or medical attention, campaigners said.

Several hundred more were taken from the site and put onto coaches by police.

Climate Justice Action's Mel Evans said that the actions of the police were appalling.

"People were very scared and they were held for about four hours on the ground.

"They weren't able to have any medical attention, any water and weren't allowed to have any toilet facilities," he said.

"People were there in freezing conditions urinating on themselves and being held in lines, essentially like animals."

A spokesman for the British-based campaign group Climate Action said: "It seems Danish police have a new motto - why just criminalise protesters when you can dehumanise them too?"

The weekend's events follow a series of protests last weekend to demand that world leaders who head to Copenhagen this week secure a strong and fair deal to cut emissions and provide funding for poor countries in the fight against global warming.