Ruchi Jain, 23, was working as a marketer in Mumbai, India, when she left her job to become a full-time climate activist. Today she works with the Indian Youth Climate Network and 350.org, and she traveled to Copenhagen in December to participate in the climate talks.

I followed Jain during the two-week conference as she rallied other youth activists and testified before UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. I found out why she gave up her marketing career and why – like many youth around the world – she now has her eyes on the United States Senate.

Sara Peach reported from Copenhagen thanks to a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Youth activists were beaten by police this morning in Copenhagen after they marched out of the Bella Center, shouting “Reclaim power!” and “Climate justice now!”

During the second week of the COP15 talks in Copenhagen, the number of activists allowed to attend the talks has been drastically reduced. By Friday, when President Obama arrives, the number of nongovernmental “observers,” the UN group to which most of the activists belong, will be reduced to just 90.

A mix of frustrated indigenous, youth, and environmental activists walked out of the talks this morning at about 11 a.m. local time. Once outside, the marchers attempted to join a second group of activists organized by the anti-corporate network Climate Justice Action. But before the two groups could join, they met a line of police.

The activists and the police shoved back and forth, and the police beat them with batons. The marchers said throughout the action that they had remained peaceful.

Here’s a quick edit of the footage I captured of the march and beating.

Sara Peach is reporting from Copenhagen thanks to a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

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Saturday’s mass march to the Bella Center, where climate talks are ongoing, was boisterous and colorful, but largely peaceful.

I expect that the tone of the demonstrations will shift in the next week as climate activists make a last-ditch push for a strong treaty. Climate Justice Action, an anti-corporate network, is calling on activists to disrupt the negotiations at the Bella Center next Wednesday and to transform it into an assembly open to all:

There will be a legalized starting point, which will be announced to the media and the police. From there, the climate justice bloc will move on towards the Bella Center. Affinity groups will make their way to the border of the conference area from various directions.

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We will overcome any physical barriers that stand in our way – but we will not respond with violence if the police try to escalate the situation, nor create unsafe situations; we will be there to make our voices heard!

Stay tuned.

Today is “Young and Future Generations Day” at the Copenhagen climate talks, where at least 1,000 youth from dozens of countries are in attendance. So far this week, youth activists have put on dozens of media stunts, such as dressing as green-faced “aliens” and asking passers-by to take them to their climate leaders.

Young people are also involved in serious lobbying campaigns behind the scenes. American youth are scheduled to meet with negotiators from the U.S. delegation at 6:30 p.m. (12:30 EST), but press likely won’t be allowed to attend.

I recently caught up with American activist Brianna Cayo Cotter, who explained why young activists care so much about the outcome of the conference.

Sara Peach is reporting from Copenhagen thanks to a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Spread the news on what the føck is going on in Copenhagen with friends via email, Facebook, Twitter, or smoke signals.