New medical records, video footage and witness testimonies reveal Copenhagen police used far more force than initially reported against pro-Palestine activists blocking Mærsk headquarters last month, prompting Amnesty Denmark to demand an independent investigation into alleged broken bones, dog bites and baton blows.
I have reported on Danish protests for years now. Most pass peacefully. This one did not. The blockade at A.P. Møller-Mærsk headquarters near Amerikakaj in May turned into something darker, and the full picture is only emerging now.
Activists arrived early that morning to block access roads. Their goal was to pressure Mærsk over alleged arms shipments to Israel. They sat down. They linked arms. Copenhagen Police declared it disorder and moved in with dogs and batons.
What the videos show
The images are not pleasant. Police dogs lunging at seated protesters. Officers swinging batons at people already on the ground. Activists dragged across pavement by Mærsk security guards working alongside police. One 24-year-old protester, Tor Cobby Nilsson, told Arbejderen he was thrown down, knelt on and struck repeatedly.
Others report broken limbs and deep bite wounds. Lawyers who reviewed the footage describe officers losing control. One called it a voldsorgie, an orgy of violence. That phrase does not appear in polite Danish political discourse very often.
Copenhagen Police insist they were forced to use necessary measures. Protesters created disorder from early morning, they say, and obstructed access to private property and public roads. Under Danish law police can use proportional force to restore order. The question is whether this was proportional.
Amnesty weighs in
Amnesty International Denmark does not think so. The human rights group has called for a thorough, independent investigation. As noted by Amnesty policy staff, the violent use of batons and dogs against peaceful demonstrators must be examined to the bottom.
That matters. Amnesty rarely intervenes in Danish police operations this publicly. Denmark ranks high on rule of law indices. We are supposed to be good at this. The fact that Amnesty feels compelled to push for external scrutiny suggests something went seriously wrong.
An expat concern
For foreign nationals living here, this case carries extra weight. Many expats work at Mærsk or other Copenhagen companies. Some join climate or human rights protests. You assume Danish police will be restrained and professional. Mostly they are. But when they are not, what recourse do you have?
You can file a complaint with Den Uafhængige Politiklagemyndighed, the Independent Police Complaints Authority. Foreign nationals have the same right as Danes to do so. But critics argue very few officers are ever convicted for excessive force. That discourages victims from coming forward, especially if they worry about their residence status.
Participating in civil disobedience that involves trespass or blocking infrastructure can lead to criminal charges. For expats, any conviction could complicate visa renewals. The rules on nyidanmark.dk make that clear. So the stakes are higher if you are not Danish.
The bigger pattern
This is not an isolated incident. Pro-Palestine protests across Europe have met increasingly heavy-handed police responses since October 2023. Germany, France and Britain have all seen similar complaints. Denmark is joining that pattern, and it does not sit comfortably with our self-image.
The blockade was timed to coincide with Mærsk’s annual general meeting at the Bella Center. Activists wanted to confront the shipping giant over what they call complicity in Israeli military operations. Mærsk rejects that accusation and insists it follows export control rules.
But the protesters were not violent. They blocked a road. Police could have removed them without breaking bones. As of now, Copenhagen Police have not announced an external investigation. Amnesty is still waiting. So are the people who were bitten and beaten.
I have watched Danish police handle thousands of protesters without serious incident. This time something went wrong. If Denmark wants to keep its reputation for rule of law, someone needs to explain why.
