Protest ahead of Copenhagen summit

Over the weekend, tens of thousands of protesters gathered across the UK to make their voices heard ahead of the Copenhagen summit this week. The demonstrator organisers, Stop Climate Chaos wanted to force the world leaders attending the two week summit to consider radical pledges to cutting emissions. Their demands included an appeal to Western governments to cut carbon emission by 80% before 2050. Others have called for a faster track approach, committing to a 40% cut over the next decade.   The organisers boasted a turn out of 40,000 people in London and 7000 in Glasgow as well as a significant showing in Belfast.   As Saturday evening drew in, another smaller 150 strong protest group, Camp For Climate Action set up a peace camp in Trafalgar Square for a 48 hour stint. Prime Minister Gordon Brown met with some of the protesters in Downing Street and lent credence to their campaign saying that "the vast majority of people" believed that man-made global warming was a scientific fact.  In Copenhagen, protests took on a more violent character with some individuals throwing missiles and burning cars. 170 people were arrested during the weekend but no serious injuries were reported.   By Timothy Bowers   Foto I Flickr