Too many bikers in Copenhagen

In Copenhagen – one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world in which 36% of its inhabitants cycle to work or school, and which has committed to increasing that figure to 50% by 2015 – there are controversial voices coming from unexpected places.
According to the Danish Cyclists' Federation and Wonderful Copenhagen, the official tourism organisation for Denmark, the sheer success of the drive to get more locals and tourists on bikes is creating a dangerous, intimidating and unpleasant climate for cyclists in the city.
"In Copenhagen, we have quite extraordinary problems around cycling congestion," said Aneh Hajdu, of Wonderful Copenhagen. "I don't take my children on their bikes into Copenhagen at rush hour any more. It's too dangerous and scary. I just wouldn't risk it."

As numbers increase in the cycle lanes, says Hadju, so behaviour deteriorates, with jostling and cutting-up becoming more frequent. "The locals rush past the foreigners, who are often uncertain on their bikes and going slowly," she said. "The locals get impatient and therefore become more threatening."

Even to an untrained eye, it is immediately obvious that the city is struggling to cater for its growing number of cyclists. It is already near-impossible to find cycling parking places near main stations...

So what happens when the critical mass of cyclists grows faster than the government can improve their uban environment?
In rush hour, there are enormous numbers of cyclists fighting for space on Copenhagen's bike paths, which become cramped and packed.
"As numbers grow and they fight for space, cyclists are becoming more aggressive and reckless in traffic. I increasingly see people bringing themselves and others into dangerous situations," "They break the laws and use their bikes in completely reckless ways."

More at The Guardian

Quickies

1. Terror charges brought against 5 comrades in Denmark: arson attacks to destabilize the state (link)

2. E-coli found in Copenhagen water supply (link in danish) - This is unacceptable, shame on Copenhagen.

3. Regions in Denmark to be abolished (link in danish)

Secret racist network exposed in Denmark

Only two and a half weeks after the horrible terror massacre in Norway, a secret network of racists has been exposed in Denmark. With about 100 members, ‘ORG’ has existed for 20 years, preparing for a ‘showdown’ with immigrants and ‘traitors’. Leading members of the Danish People’s Party and an infamous police officer are among its members.
The news was published on 10 August by Politiken, reporting that ORG was “started by a small group of men, several of whom have held leading positions in the Danish People’s Party, or been candidates for the party, while at the same time taking part in Ku Klux Klan-type events and exerting influence on extreme right-wing organisations.
Several ORG members have said they are willing to use violence against immigrants and have praised the Hells Angels support group AK81 for “beating provocative wogs”.

The even more racist Dansk Folkeparti (DF, Danish People’s Party) is now implicated in the secret network with the aim of “cleaning” Denmark of immigrants and “traitors”. The leader of ORG, Jesper Nielsen, was the DF leader in Aarhus and another leader was a candidate for parliament. The network closely followed its “enemies” with an “extensive ‘traitor archive’, which is called “The Great Memory”, Politiken reported.
The Copenhagen leader of ORG was a police officer who was suspended from the force on political grounds in 2009, having used his position to monitor 8,000 left-wing political opponents. He also had guns and ammunition in his flat, alongside stickers saying “Real Danes shit on the Koran”. But, as in the case with the Murdoch scandal in Britain, the information gained about ORG in the investigation against this police officer in 2009 was not used further or made public.
The secret organisation, ORG, used several fronts, such as a right-wing youth organisation, a website and Den Danske Forening (The Danish Association). Even an organisation for ‘press freedom’, i.e. defending racism in the media, is linked to ORG. Most members are in public positions, at the same time taking part in racist rituals, burning crosses, and discussing ethnic cleansing.
The news about ORG shows again how far some of the right-wing extremists are prepared to go. At the same time, some of their policies are in line with populist and racist parties in parliaments around Europe. In Denmark, the role of DF as a support party of the conservative government has made Denmark’s migration policies some of the worst in Europe. For example, a Danish citizen has to be 24-years old to marry a foreigner (DF now demands this is raised to 27 years).

More at Socialist World

Danish court decision on Kim Davy can encourage terrorists

Sending a strong message to Denmark, India on Friday said Danish high court's refusal to allow extradition of Purulia arms drop case accused Kim Davy has "grave and far-reaching" implications and can only serve as an encouragement to terrorists and criminals.
The external affairs ministry while expressing its great disappointment over the court verdict also said India's demand that Davy be handed over by Denmark stands and he must stand trial in this country for his actions.

Noting that Danish government had decided on April 9, 2010, to extradite Kim Davy to India, he said "but the Danish authorities failed to successfully defend their decision in the Danish courts and it is regrettable that they have decided not to appeal the high court judgement in the Supreme Court."
"Completely rejecting" the grounds cited by the Danish court as the basis for its decision, he said "Our demand for the extradition of Kim Davy to India stands. He must face the law in India for his actions."
Government sources meanwhile emphasised that Danish authorities must ensure that "terrorists and gunrunners do not find easy safe haven" in their country and made it clear that the relations and interactions between the two countries will always be based on the strict principle of reciprocity.
"Conditionalities insisted upon by the Danes will apply in respect of any request received by us from them in the similar manner," they said.

More at The Times of India

Schengen state Denmark beefs up border controls

Denmark, part of the Schengen border-free zone, has deployed extra customs officers on its frontiers in a move causing concern among EU neighbours.
Thirty additional officers were being posted on the Danish land border with Germany and 20 others on the country's sea borders.
Denmark's government is under pressure to curb illegal immigration.
The centre-right coalition moved to introduce the additional customs agents after calls from its populist ally, the right-wing Danish People's Party (DPP), and the legislation cleared parliament on Friday.
But many have questioned the legality of the Danish move under the 1995 Schengen Agreement, which abolished internal borders, enabling passport-free movement inside much of western Europe.

A Dutch motorist appeared slightly alarmed after being stopped by customs officers after she entered Denmark from Germany at Froslev on Tuesday morning, the online edition of Jyllands-Posten reports.
As the first motorist to be checked, she was asked to pull over 20m inside the border, and found herself being questioned by several customs officers as some 50 media people crowded around her car, the paper says.
The Danish reinforcements come on top of a force of about 160, which will grow to 260 by the end of this year, according to Reuters news agency.
Denmark's ruling coalition of liberals and conservatives relies on the right-wing DPP's support to pass legislation in parliament.

More: BBC

National Geographic - Megabridges Denmark To Sweden

Quickies

1. Festival-goer dies in fall at Roskilde event (BBC and Syracuse)
2. Flood in the streets of Copenhagen (CNN and video)
3. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark shows CNN's Richard Quest his renovated palace with sustainability at its core (video from CNN)

Denmark – Amnesty International Report 2011

Denmark
Head of state:Queen Margrethe II
Head of government:Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Death penalty: abolitionist for all crimes
Population: 5.5 million
Life expectancy:78.7 years
Under-5 mortality (m/f):6/6 per 1,000

Counter-terrorism legislation continued to give rise to concern. Forced returns contrary to international guidelines, including to Iraq, continued. Women were not adequately protected against violence in legislation or practice.

Counter-terror and security

Counter-terrorism legislation continued to impact on human rights. Judicial control of police access to private and confidential information was weak (for example, intercepting telephone and computer communications) and proceedings by which deportations and expulsions on national security grounds could be challenged remained unfair.
In September, the government published a review of counter-terrorism legislation adopted since 2001. The review was criticized for its lack of thoroughness and for failing to include the views of different stakeholders. Based on statements by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the National Police and the Police Security and Intelligence Service exclusively, the review concluded that the increased powers given to the latter had enhanced terrorism prevention.
In December, the Eastern High Court annulled an order to expel a Tunisian citizen, Slim Chafra, on the grounds that he was considered a threat to national security. The Court found that Slim Chafra had not been able to effectively challenge the decision to expel him, because it was based primarily on secret material, presented in closed hearings, which he and his lawyers did not have access to. Consequently, he had not had fair or reasonable means of defending himself.

Torture and other ill-treatment

In November, a local court ruled that the extradition of Niels Holck, a Danish national, to India could not proceed after determining that diplomatic assurances negotiated between the Danish and Indian government did not offer sufficient protection against the risk of torture and other ill-treatment. The government appealed the case, which at the end of the year remained pending at the High Court.
In December, the Copenhagen Municipal Court ruled that the mass pre-emptive arrests of 250 people during the 2009 Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen were unlawful, and furthermore that the circumstances under which the arrests took place in 178 of those cases constituted degrading treatment, in violation of article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The problem of minors on remand being detained in the same facilities as adult inmates persisted.

Refugees and asylum seekers

In May, the government amended its policy regarding transfers of asylum-seekers to Greece under the Dublin II Regulation. Despite the lack of protection under the current Greek asylum determination procedure, the government announced that it would no longer wait for Greece to explicitly accept responsibility for a case before transfer. The European Court of Human Rights granted interim measures halting transfer in at least 304 cases, and effectively prevented the majority of transfers taking place. However, the Danish Minister of Refugees, Immigration and Integration did not declare a halt of all Dublin transfers to Greece. By the end of the year 20 people had been transferred to Greece under the Regulation.
Despite recommendations from UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, at least 62 Iraqis were returned to Baghdad, Iraq, despite the real risk of persecution or serious harm.

Violence against women

Legislation did not adequately protect women against sexual violence. An expert committee, commissioned by the government in 2009 to examine existing legislation on rape had not yet submitted its findings by the end of the year. For example, legislation provides that if the perpetrator enters into or continues a marriage or registered partnership with the victim after the rape, it gives grounds for reducing or remitting the punishment.
On average only 20 per cent of reported rapes result in a conviction, the majority of cases are closed by the police or prosecution and are never brought to trial, leading to a high risk of impunity for perpetrators.

Discrimination

In August, the CERD Committee called on the government to provide adequate shelter for Roma and Travellers in the country, facilitate their access to public services and provide effective protection against discrimination and hate crimes.
The Committee also reported that the introduction in May of a new point-based system for individuals seeking permanent residence introduced “onerous and stringent requirements” that may unfairly exclude vulnerable individuals.

From here

Denmark Police Propose Ban On Anonymous Internet Use

In Denmark, police have recommended to Parliament that it create laws that make it impossible for citizens to surf anonymously. According to Danish-language blog Computerworld Denmark (link in danish), the proposal is intended to help investigate terrorism.

In the proposal, locations providing open Internet, like cafes and libraries, would have to confirm a user's identity, with some form of official ID, before letting them get online. Companies may also have to register and verify users' identities before providing access, as well as retain records of user logs.

Danish law already requires that ISPs store user data for at least a year, as an anti-terrorism measure. The proposal suggests that with such information, police would be able to see who exactly is on the network, where they go, and who they talk to.

More at Huffington Post

Tips for the Denmark Green Card Program

Denmark Green Card is a points system for immigration specialists and managers, offering a three-year residence permit to the applicant and their accompanying family members. Selection factors that form part of the point system includes educational and professional qualifications of the applicant, language, number of years of experience in claims, occupation, age of the principal applicant and different other factors such as experience and won the European educational qualifications. Denmark Government announced positive list of professions which forms the basis of green card applicants Denmark

Immigrants should do a careful review of the points based system and careful calculation of the points in the various factors that are part of the selection criteria set for Denmark a green card. It should apply only if meet the minimum pass mark.

Immigrants candidate must have clarity as to whether the applicant's occupation figures in the positive list of professions. This positive list is based on an assessment of government jobs that have job opportunities and scope in Denmark and the winner likely to be successful immigrants in Denmark.

Read more at Immigration

The End of Sweden

The government of Sweden paid for this video and is broadcasting it in Sweden and is promoting race mixing. It shows a woman having sex with a Negro while singing the Swedish National Anthem. The Jew (Hittites) are promoting this filth and soon they will be promoting this race mixing filth world wide in a more aggressive manner soon. Race mixing is a tool of the Communists that they use in order to destroy nations. "Thou shalt not commit adultery," basically forbids race mixing and sleeping with another man's wife.

Jim Morrison – An american prayer