Early on Wednesday morning, around 80–100 activists gathered outside Maersk’s headquarters on Esplanaden, Copenhagen.
They primarily belong to the “Den Grønne Ungdomsbevægelse” (The Green Youth Movement) and pro-Palestinian groups, and the action forms part of the “Mask Off Maersk” campaign. The activists blocked the entrances to the building in order to prevent employees from entering work. The aim was to protest against what they claim is Maersk’s continued transport of weapons and weapon components to Israel.
The rabble got a beating
The Danish police arrived in large numbers and initially attempted to persuade the activists to remove themselves voluntarily. When they refused, the police resorted to physical action, demonstrating, among other things, to the ineffectual Norwegian police how such rabble should be handled.
They used batons, or so-called “knipler”, which are police truncheons, to strike the rabble with. The police also brought a dog, which had to be restrained, as it apparently was more than willing to sink its teeth into the radical activists.
They dragged the activists away brutally, often after first giving them several solid blows with batons, and fastened plastic restraints on several of them. Around 20 of the activists were arrested and charged with multiple offences.
The Danish police are showing the way in how to deal with such rabble. The video was recorded by Dagbladet Arbejderen, a Danish communist newspaper.
Groundless accusations
The rabble accuse Maersk of complicity in war crimes and genocide, something the company itself rejects.
This is not the first time Maersk’s headquarters has been blocked. It has happened several times since the autumn of 2023, but Wednesday’s action formed part of a coordinated European campaign.