Update

Here is a news story from the English language weekly, The Copenhagen Post:

With the smell of burnt plastic, wood and other refuse still hanging over the streets of the Nørrebro district, residents and shop keepers are beginning to clean up after a day of violent protests by supporters of the Ungdomshuset youth collective.

The main Nørrebrogade thoroughfare was still closed to cars Friday morning, but cyclists were able to weave their way past melted rubbish bins and charred bike frames set alight by the young people as they reacted to an early morning police action to evict the squatters.

After what police called a 'quiet' afternoon, the riot broke out in earnest when a rally held by supporters moved in against the police, casting cobblestones and erecting baracades across Nørrebrogade and other side streets.

Police arrested 219 people in conjunction with the riots. Another Ungdomshuset rally has been called for this afternoon, and police have called in reinforcements from throughout the country in expectation of a new wave clashes.

Sympathy protests were staged in the cities of Aalborg and Århus. German police report arresting 14 people in Hamburg in conjunction with protests outside the Danish consulate.

Young people have also reportedly held demonstrations in Oslo, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Flensborg and Vienna in support of the Copenhagen protests.

Danish police have tightened control at its borders in order to prevent foreign protesters from entering the country.

I guess the main issue is the fact that the kids thought the city had given them the house, which it sounds like they did. After the fire in the '90s and the condition of the house, the city didn't want the liability of safety concerns anymore so they sold it to a lawyer. That lawyer then sold it to this conservative Christian "sect". When it was still public property, it was legal for the kids to be there. After the city sold it, it became private property, and it became illegal for them to be there. So when the Christian group asked the police to clear out the house, the police had to do that. Really the issue started when the house was sold.

I think 90% of Danes are really against these demonstrations. These kids are abusing the Danish welfare system. They say they are anarchists but still want all the benefits of the Danish welfare state and handouts like this house. Danes really don't like violence either. There has never been a revolution in Danish history, which is different from about every other European country. Everything is about compromise.

Anyways, the issue is far from over. They will need to find some resolution somehow or the fighting in the streets will probably continue.





(if the video is jerky, just press pause and wait for a minute before letting it play)