Suppression of heresy at Copenhagen

The Church of Chicken Little is circling the wagons... can burning at the stake be far behind?

A Stanford Professor has used United Nation security officers to silence a journalist asking him “inconvenient questions”  during a press briefing at the climate change conference in Copenhagen.

Professor Stephen Schneider’s assistant requested armed UN security officers who held film maker Phelim McAleer, ordered him to stop filming and prevented further questioning after the press conference where the Stanford academic was launching a book.

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He asked Professor Schneider about his opinions on Climategate – where leaked emails have revealed that a senior British professor deleted data and encouraged colleagues to do likewise if it contradicted their belief in Global Warming.

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Professor Schneider, who is a senior member of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), said he would not comment on emails that may have been incomplete or edited.

During some testy exchanges with McAleer, UN officials and Professor Schneider’s assistants twice tried to cut short McAleer’s question.

However as the press conference drew to a close Professor Schneider’s assistant called armed UN security guards to the room. They held McAleer and aggressively ordered cameraman Ian Foster to stop filming. The guard threatened to take away the camera and expel the film crew from the conference if they did not obey his instructions to stop filming Professor Schneider.

The guard demanded to look at the film crews press credentials and refused to allow them to film until Professor Schneider left the room.
McAleer said he was disappointed by Professor Schneider’s behaviour.

“It was a press conference. Climategate is a major story – it goes to the heart of the Global Warming debate by calling into question the scientific data and the integrity of many scientists involved.”

“These questions should be answered. The attempts by UN officials and Professor Schneider’s assistant to remove my microphone were hamfisted  but events took a more sinister turn when they called an armed UN security officer to silence a journalist.”

It's pretty funny really when you come to understand that these are the same people who decry the rigidity, intolerance and narow-mindedness of the so called Christian Right.

Crossposted(*).

Comments

[Locutisprime]

Someone should file an official complaint against the officer involved, for violations of constitutional rights as it concerns the reporters right to be present and to ask questions.

A clear case of abuse of authority by the officer IMO. And probably grounds for civil action against the UN.

[chuck aka xtnyoda]

The questioner was even respectful... and AGW dude became furious instantly...

Sure sign of being caught with the hand in the cookie jar. If there is nothing to hide then the AGW people should embrace their critics... what a great opportunity to demonstrate the veracity of their postulates.