Hundreds protest at UN summit

Climate activists protest in the Sharm el-Sheikh International Convention Centre, at the COP27 climate conference Saturday. Pic/AFP

Hundreds of environmental activists on Saturday called on industrialised nations at the UN climate summit in Egypt to pay for the impact of global warming, the largest demonstration yet that came as German officials raised concerns about possible surveillance and intimidation of delegates and other conference attendees.

Protests have mostly been muted at the conference, known as COP27, which is taking place in the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Activists blamed high cost of travel, accommodation and restrictions in the isolated city for limiting numbers of demonstrators.

The protesters marched through the conference's Blue Zone,' which is considered United Nations territory and governed by the global body's rules. That has given the activists a bit more space to voice their opinions than in the rest of the country, where Egypt's authoritarian government essentially bars protests.

Still, there were signs that Egypt was attempting to exert pressure inside the conference venue. Attendees of events at the German pavilion have complained about being photographed and filmed by people unknown to them in the days after Germany hosted an event there with the sister of a jailed Egyptian pro-democracy activist.

"We expect all participants in the U.N. climate conference to be able to work and negotiate under safe conditions," Germany's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "This is not just true for the German but for all delegations, as well as representatives of civil society and the media. We're in continuous contact with the Egyptian side on this."

Egyptian officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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