Tent protesters attack summit for 'hypocrisy'

In tents: climate change activists camp out in Trafalgar Square for their 48-hour protest protest
Julia Kennard12 April 2012

Climate change activists staging a 48-hour tent protest in Trafalgar Square today accused politicians attending the Copenhagen summit of "unbelievable hypocrisy".

Fifty demonstrators from the Camp for Climate Action spent a second night in the square, despite bad weather.

They moved in after 30,000 people marched through London in protest at global warming before the talks in the Danish capital.

Richard Bernard, 23, said: "The hypocrisy of flying to these talks is unbelievable. It just shows that for the politicians and corporate lobbyists these talks are simply business as usual."

Protester James Hague, 37, of Peckham, said: "There is a lot of pressure on this conference to save the world and when it doesn't people will realise the Government can't do everything and we need to do something ourselves."

Robbie Gillett, 23, of Manchester, said: "People in the square have been supportive and we have also had a good response from police. It's such a shift from the G20 demonstration."

A photographer was arrested as a separate group of campaigners last night tried to enter London City Airport's departure lounge in a last bid to target summit delegates.

Mr Bernard said the man was only taking pictures of protesters dressed as Santa - "refugees from Lapland applying for citizenship now that their home is melting".Scotland Yard said a man was arrested for assaulting a guard.

Researchers today claimed that the bill for the 12-day Copenhagen summit will top £130million and will generate as much greenhouse gas as an entire African country.

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