Heavy police presence as Australian COP15 climate activist appears at Copenhagen City Court

Natasha Verco, the climate activist arrested at the start of the COP15 climate conference last year arrived in Copenhagen City Court looking nervous ahead of her hearing this morning.  She is charged with planning illegal protests – something she strongly denies.

Verco, a founding member of the Australian branch of Friends of the Earth, was arrested by plain clothes officers while she was riding her bike last December and held in custody for three weeks.

There was a heavy police presence at the courthouse and the hearing had to be moved to a larger room to accommodate Verco’s numerous supporters. Also at the court was American Noah Daniel Weiss, who was also arrested in December and will face similar charges on 19 March.

Verco, who lives in Sweden with her partner, does not deny participating in demonstrations during the summit, but denies that she was instrumental in planning any unlawful activities. She also alleges that the police used unnecessary force during her arrest, when, she said, she was pushed off her bicycle by a group of undercover officers.