Climate conference chaos

08 December 2011 - 14:40 By Sapa
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Hundreds of youths form a giant image of a lion's face on Addington Beach in Durban calling for urgent action on climate change.
Hundreds of youths form a giant image of a lion's face on Addington Beach in Durban calling for urgent action on climate change.
Image: GREENPEACE

A climate change meeting to be addressed by President Jacob Zuma took an unruly turn at the Durban City Hall on Thursday.

Some of those attending refused to stop carrying posters which read: "Zuma stand with the poor, not the USA."

Another group, who sang Zuma songs, grabbed the demonstrators and pushed them out of the hall. One of them was smacked and kicked while lying down.

The aim of the meeting was for Zuma to give feedback on a consultation session with civil society organisations on the sidelines of COP17 talks currently taking place in Durban.

Some of the people who carried posters were taken away by the police. It was not immediately clear if they had been arrested.

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