The Nation: Climate Change: Off the G-20 Agenda?

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http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091005/eshelman2

Climate Change: Off the G-20 Agenda?

By Robert S. Eshelman

September 23, 2009

Tuesday afternoon, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Lancaster rejected an ACLU of Pennsylvania-Center for Constitutional Rights request for an injunction against the Pittsburgh Police. The lawyers alleged in the suit that local law enforcement has been systematically harassing and carrying out unconstitutional searches and seizers of members of two G-20 protest groups -- the Seeds of Peace Collective and the Three Rivers Climate Convergence (3RCC). The judge refused to restrain the police and suggested that if police conduct warrants damages claims then the ACLU should file suit. The ACLU says they will pursue such claims.

"Its hard to believe the City of Pittsburgh is deploying this much fire power against a peaceful group," Witold Walczak, state director of the ACLU, told The Nation. "If ever there is there is a time to protect demonstrators' first amendment rights it's this week."

Despite yesterday's legal setback, climate change groups such as 3RCC and Greenpeace have continued to occupy a central place among anti-G20 protests in Pittsburgh during the run-up to the summit. The actions of climate change campaigners come at a critical time: climate scientists are issuing ever more dire reports about the pace at which global warming is occurring and there is now just 74 days before the Copenhagen climate talks.

Today, activists from Greenpeace rappelled from Pittsburgh's iconic West End bridge, hanging an 80-feet by 30-feet banner that read: Danger, Climate Destruction Ahead, Reduce CO2 Emissions Now. Nine people were arrested during the action, in addition to five others during an earlier, unsuccessful banner drop.

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