Security beefed up in Denmark

For UN climate meet:

DENMARK: Denmark is putting the final touches on its preparations for the UN climate summit in Copenhagen in December, mounting an “unprecedented” police deployment for the biggest event ever organised in the country.

Some 30,000 participants are expected to attend the December 7-18 talks, and police are bracing for possible violence from troublemakers, in particular from extremist circles, who have threatened to wreak havoc.

Chief inspector Per Larsen would not specify the size of the police deployment, saying the number would remain confidential.

“This is undoubtedly the largest conference ever organised in Denmark, and it calls for unprecedented police mobilisation and material assistance from neighbouring countries,” he told AFP.Because Danish police do not have enough resources, they will borrow helicopters and police cars from neighbouring Sweden.

As well as cars and police dogs from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and “probably from Belgium.”

In order to ensure the summit and its parallel activities unfold peacefully, police will engage in a “dialogue with all non-governmental organisations (NGOs)” in a bid to reach agreements to avoid unrest or violence.

“We want this summit and its associated events to be a celebration and not the occasion to destroy our city, as claimed by some small extremist groups,” Larsen said. Copenhagen, Thursday, AFP