Young climate activists denounce 'youth-washing' in Milan

Young climate activists denounced Italian police for temporarily detaining delegates who protested peacefully inside their Milan conference before Italian Premier Mario Draghi's speech.

Discontent with the three-day conference had bubbled from its start. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg said the delegates had been "cherry-picked" and that organizers were not really interested in their ideas or input for a document that will be sent to this year's United Nations climate conference.

But the frustration overflowed on the youth event's final day, with minor clashes involving climate activists outside the venue and the police intervention with delegates inside. Half a dozen young activists demonstrated their disillusionment with world leaders' response to global warming by flashing a cardboard sign reading "The Emperor Has No Clothes" at Draghi, chanting "People united will not be defeated," and walking out before he addressed the group.

The delegates said police then detained them, asked to see their passports and photographed their conference badges. They said they were released after about 20 minutes, but the action left them shaken.

Italy's environmental transition minister Roberto Cingolani, who is host of the event, said he did not have details of the police action, but said it appeared to have involved the premier's security detail and be related to tight security around the event.