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Greenpeace Leader Locked Out of UN Climate Change Conference

“We are the ones who can apply pressure and hold governments accountable,” Morgan of Greenpeace said. “When we are not in the building, we are not able to do that.”

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The head of Greenpeace International was locked out of a UN Climate Change Conference on Wednesday along with hundreds of other observers. Hours after sharing a podium at 196-nations climate talks with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg.

Jennifer Morgan, has been attending the troubled UN negotiations for 25 years, said the expulsion was without precedent.

“This afternoon there was a peaceful protest outside of the plenary,” Morgan said.

“The protesters were abruptly and roughly moved out of the building. When I tried to get back in and found that the security had closed access to all observers.”

Credentialed observers — including research institutes, NGOs and other civil society groups. — Play a critical role in the talks, which are tasked with saving the world from runaway global warming.

“We are the ones who can apply pressure and hold governments accountable,” Morgan said. “When we are not in the building, we are not able to do that.”

“I call on the Secretary General to intervene here to make sure that youth and citizens around the world can engage and have their voices heard in these negotiations,” she added.

United Nations officials, when asked about the lock-out, had no comment

Activists UN greepeace

Climate activists protest during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Madrid, on December 11, 2019.

More than 200 youth and indigenous rights activists were thrown out of talks, set to end Friday. They were ejected after staging a protest. Demanding that nations take urgent action to avert catastrophic climate change.

The protesters chanted “Climate Justice Now” and “Shame! Shame! Shame.” Security intervened and pushed the activists into a car park, where they were briefly held.

“This is the critical phase of the negotiations — because the ministers are now involved,” Morgan said.

“They cannot think that just because they are keeping us out of the building that we will not hold them accountable for what happens inside.”

Negotiators in Madrid are hashing out the rulebook for the landmark Paris accord. The so called accord aims to keep global temperatures “well below” two degrees Celsius.

But national carbon cutting pledges submitted in annex to the 2015 treaty are allegedly inadequate. They would collectively see temperatures rise at least 3C above preindustrial levels. A recipe for widespread human suffering, some pro-climate change scientists say.

President Trump tells Greta Thunberg to Chill

Meanwhile, President Trump on Thursday mocked Greta Thunberg, the Swedish 16-year-old climate activist. He said her distinction as Time magazine’s Person of the Year “ridiculous.” Tweeting she work on anger-management issues and go to a movie with a friend.

Trump’s advice, in a morning tweet, came a day after Thunberg , became the youngest person to be dubbed Person of the Year by Time.
“So ridiculous,” Trump tweeted. “Greta must work on her Anger Management problem. Then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!”
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