Two photojournalists were injured by Danish police batons during demonstrations in Copenhagen, and the Danish Photographers' Union condemned the incident.
The injury of two Danish newspaper photographers during Demonstrations took place in the Danish capital, Copenhagen, on Saturday, October 17, 2026 Danish newspaper officials have strongly criticized the two photographers after they were beaten with police batons, while the editor-in-chief of Politiken newspaper announced his intention to file a complaint against the police.
The editor-in-chief of Politiken intends to file a complaint against the police.
Politiken editor-in-chief Kristian Jensen said he intends to file a complaint against the police over the assault on Politiken photographers Thomas Borberg and Ekstra Bladet photographer Anton Unger.
Jensen explained in comments reported by the newspaper Ekstra Bladet that what happened constituted a very serious and completely unacceptable attack on press freedom. He added that he could only interpret the incident as an attempt by the police to prevent journalists from carrying out their legitimate work, emphasizing that he viewed the incident with the utmost seriousness.
TV2 reported on Saturday that cameraman Thomas Borberg went to the emergency room for medical tests after being beaten.
Details of the attack on the Politiken newspaper photographer
The head of photography at Politiken newspaper, Peter Høve Olsen, said that one of the newspaper's photographers was hit several times with a police baton while covering the demonstration near Hobro Plads square in central Copenhagen.
According to his account, as reported by TV2, the photographer was standing in his place and trying to alert a police officer that he was there to perform a journalistic task, and he was wearing a clear press badge.
Olsen refused to consider what happened as an accidental strike amid the chaos, pointing out that a picture taken one second before the first strike did not suggest, in his estimation, that it was a coincidence.
He said what happened was unacceptable, and that a photojournalist should not be unable to do his job without being assaulted. He demanded that the Copenhagen police provide an explanation for the incident.
Photographer Thomas Borberg was later taken to the emergency room, where examinations revealed signs of physical abuse but no fractures. A medical report was also prepared during the examination to document the use of force, according to Olsen, who confirmed that the newspaper's current focus is on the photographer's well-being.
Police will investigate the photos and videos.
Copenhagen Deputy Police Inspector Jakob Hansen told TV2 that police were aware of the incident involving the use of batons in the vicinity of Hobro Plads during the disturbances that accompanied the demonstrations on Saturday afternoon.
He explained that the police will examine the available video recordings and will also investigate what happened to their officers present at the scene, before arriving at a clear picture of the circumstances of the incident.
In a related context, TV2 reported that photographer Anton Unger, who works for the newspaper Ekstra Bladet, was also attacked with a police baton.
The Association of Press Photographers condemns the incident
The Danish Association of Photojournalists also condemned the incident on Saturday evening, after the photographers were beaten while covering the demonstrations.
The union's vice president, Cecilia Philippa Wiebe Pedersen, told Politiken that union members should be able to cover demonstrations without being beaten.
The demonstrations witnessed tension and arrests.
The attack on the photographers came during two opposing demonstrations in Copenhagen on Saturday. The first was organized by the Danish People's Movement (Det Danske Folk), a right-wing populist movement, while anti-racism groups organized a counter-demonstration under the slogan "No to re-immigration - a demonstration against racism.".
The first demonstration began at 2:00 PM in Kongens Nytorf Square, before proceeding towards Christiansborg Palace Square, which houses the Danish Parliament building. The counter-demonstrators carried signs rejecting the policy of returning migrants to their countries of origin, known in Denmark as remigration.
Danish police set up barriers between the two groups around Kongens Nytorf Square, then separated them again near Hobro Plads Square. TV2 reported that officers used their vehicles to form a barrier preventing direct confrontation, amid a tense atmosphere and an exchange of insults, including terms like "Nazis" and "fascists.".
Copenhagen police announced the arrest of eight people in connection with the demonstrations, according to Deputy Police Inspector Jakob Hansen, as reported by the Ritzau news agency. Three arrests were made before the demonstration began, while police arrested five more people around 5:00 PM.
Police later announced that the demonstrations had ended and traffic had returned to normal.
The investigation has not yet determined the circumstances of the attack.
Copenhagen police confirmed they will review available video footage to determine what happened during the disturbances, including the actions of police officers at the scene. The results of the investigation were not disclosed in the published information, while Politiken newspaper officials demanded an official explanation and accountability for those responsible for the assault.
