Britannia Radio

From Times Online

December 11, 2009

Lord Monckton tells Jewish climate change protester he is like 'Hitler Youth'

Anil Dawar

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A former Conservative peer has become embroiled in a row after he branded a Jewish climate change protester a member of the “Hitler Youth”.

Lord Monckton, a global warming sceptic and former economic adviser to Margaret Thatcher, made the controversial comments during the Copenhagen climate change talks this week.

The Viscount was speaking at a fringe meeting held by lobby group Americans For Prosperity on Wednesday night when a group of youth delegates interrupted and started chanting.

The 57-year-old peer was said to be so outraged by the interruption from American sustainable development group SustainUS that he started calling the protesters the “Hitler Youth”.

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Lord Monckton continued to use the phrase during a lengthy exchange with the youngsters the following morning, when he confronted them at a separate event.

After hearing Lord Monckton's views against climate change science, one of the SustainUS delegates Ben Wessel interrupted, saying “First of all my name is Ben,” and offered to shake the peer’s hand.

In video footage posted on YouTube, Lord Monckton is seen refusing the offer saying, “No, no. I'm not going to shake the hand of Hitler Youth. I'm sorry.”

When Mr Wessel informed Lord Monckton he found the comment offensive and that his grandparents had “escaped the Nazis growing up in Germany”, Lord Monckton replied: “Because of the biofuel scam, world food prices have doubled. That it because of the global warming scare, which you won't look at the science of.

“As a result of that, millions are dying in third world countries because food prices have doubled because of the biofuel scam, because of the global warming scare.

“And you people don't care. And until you start caring I will call you Hitler Youth if you ever again interrupt any meeting at which I am present, where we are trying to have a private conversation.”

Throughout the six-minute conversation, Lord Monckton continued to use the phrase, telling Mr Wessel and his colleagues: “You're already now known and your faces around the world are known as members of the Hitler Youth, or people who do as much damage to the poor as the Hitler Youth did.

“And you have got to accept that if you are not willing to take it, then you shouldn't give it. And don't you go around invading people's meetings again. Thank you very much. Good day to you all.”

After attempting to walk away Lord Monckton concludes: Don't you dare ever invade any meeting of mine again and behave in that childish, boonish, Hitler-ish fashion. Do I make myself clear?”

Speaking about the altercation, Mr Wessel later admitted he was offended by the comments.

“As a Jew this is very upsetting to me. His comments were untruthful, hateful and I was very upset.”

Given the opportunity to clarify or apologise for his comments, Lord Monckton said: “I told him that if he did not understand with that background that he should not behave like Hitler Youth, then he deserves to be described as Hitler Youth, and he should learn to behave himself.”'

He added that he was considering reporting the protestors to the police for “pushing and jostling” him during the meeting.

He added: “It might even have turned violent had I not been very passive in the face of this bullying.”