Residents concerned about disruptions caused by the official and unofficial UN climate summit activities

Climate activists are warning that 100,000 people could take to the streets this December to protest the UN Climate Conference, resulting in a major security operation and concerned local residents.

The announcement comes after 140 activists representing groups from around the world, including Germany, the Netherlands, Britain and Sweden, met in Copenhagen earlier this month to plan out their activities during the conference.

The activists say they will protest against the elitist nature of the conference that will see some 15,000 delegates and world leaders gather in Copenhagen to finalise a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

Peter Polder, a Dutch activist who attending the meeting, told alternative news website Modkraft.dk that they will seek to occupy the Bella Center conference venue for one day during the summit, and hold their own ‘people’s conference’.

‘The plan is to go in with a lot of people and push our way through the police blockades in a non-violent but confrontational way,’ said Polder.

Police have already said they expect to use up to 6,000 officers during the security operation that will cover the two-week conference period and have already been planning for some months.

Copenhagen Police spokesman Flemming Steen Munch told The Copenhagen Post that they hope demonstrators will behave in a democratic way and ‘are not preparing for violence’.

Munch confirmed that a special water cannon vehicle is being brought in for the conference, but its main objective will not be to disperse demonstrators.

‘The vehicle has a hose which is meant to clear roadblocks erected by activists; it can also be used to put out blockades that have been set on fire,’ said Munch.

Polder said that in addition to participating in a mass demonstration on 12 December being organised by NGOs, the activist network is planning a ‘climate justice action’. The action will see the group ‘occupy or blockade’ a Copenhagen area company that has a high level of greenhouse gas emissions.

‘We’re still looking for a suitable target, but the message will be that we’ve lost patience with five years of empty talk about climate so now we’ll start closing down the large polluting companies ourselves,’ Polder said.

Talk of protest and police response has left many in the Ørestad district, where the conference will be held, concerned about the safety of their homes and families.

But Copenhagen Police Chief Superintendent Per Larsen reassured residents at a neighbourhood meeting earlier this week the event is expected to pass off peacefully, but added that if the protests get out of hand the police will be ready.

Lyndsay Jensen lives in an apartment block just 300 metres from the Bella Center with her husband and two young sons. She said she was worried about the impact of the conference and associated demonstrations.

‘I’m nervous about some sort of action taking place, especially if my son is cycling home from school,’ said Jensen. ‘People can do stupid things when in a crowd frenzy.’

The Metro station for the venue is directly outside her building and the levels of security being introduced left Jensen concerned about the impact on people’s daily lives during the conference.

Police have said they plan to introduce traffic chicanes on roads in the area and possibly install heavy concrete blocks around the perimeter of the venue as a deterrent to would-be intruders.

‘I think [the climate conference] is an important cause, but I hope it can happen without any trouble,’ Jensen said.