Tractors and trolleys against GM (photos)
Simon | 13.10.2003 19:50 | Bio-technology | Ecology | Globalisation
Photos from today's parade of tractors and trolleys (and a few other things) through central London to oppose the commercialise the growing of GM crops in the UK and the way it is creeping into our food.
What part of no GM did you not understand?
Five Year Freeze and their petition with 70 thousand signatures
A few thousand people converged on central London today to celebrate what could be the UK's last GM-free harvest. With numerous decorated shopping trolleys bearing GM-free produce to represent the consumers who don't want GM in their food, a few tractors to represent the farmers who don't want their organic crops polluted with GM pollen, some bicycles and a samba band, the parade was lively and colourful. Marching from Bedford Square to the Emmanuel Centre, they stopped off outside the National Farmers Union office, Downing Street and the DEFRA office to make their feelings clear to those within each building. The Statue of Liberty turned up to scatter GM seeds, accompanied by the ghost of organics past.
At the end of the parade the marchers contributed various foodstuffs to a harvest tea for all, and assembled to hear various speakers. An advocate of the Green Gloves pledge urged us to pull up GM crops wherever they are planted, or to support those who do. Other speakers told of the problems which have happened in other countries where GM crops are already in production, and of the unscrupulous way that very powerful people in the biotech industry are manipulating the US government and the World Trade Organisation to try to force their products onto the rest of the world. Ex-minister Michael Meacher spoke of evidence from government trials and investigations which points very strongly against the viability and safety of GM crops, and received warm support for his recent troublemaking.
We need to hold the government to the results of the GM Nation debate - almost everyone who has taken any time to examine the subject has concluded that GM is a bad thing, or at least are not comfortable with it. Keep the pressure on - MP's, newspapers, supermarket customer service lines, etc - and we can keep the UK GM-free.
At the end of the parade the marchers contributed various foodstuffs to a harvest tea for all, and assembled to hear various speakers. An advocate of the Green Gloves pledge urged us to pull up GM crops wherever they are planted, or to support those who do. Other speakers told of the problems which have happened in other countries where GM crops are already in production, and of the unscrupulous way that very powerful people in the biotech industry are manipulating the US government and the World Trade Organisation to try to force their products onto the rest of the world. Ex-minister Michael Meacher spoke of evidence from government trials and investigations which points very strongly against the viability and safety of GM crops, and received warm support for his recent troublemaking.
We need to hold the government to the results of the GM Nation debate - almost everyone who has taken any time to examine the subject has concluded that GM is a bad thing, or at least are not comfortable with it. Keep the pressure on - MP's, newspapers, supermarket customer service lines, etc - and we can keep the UK GM-free.
Simon
Comments
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Good work
13.10.2003 20:20
Farmer of karma
some more pics
14.10.2003 00:28
one
No to GM
15.10.2003 17:51
Also I insist that no GM crops should be grown in England. It has not been
made clear who is to pay for any possible damage to non GM crops or indeed
to individuals whose health is affected. There is no demand for it here.
Philip Greig
e-mail:
philip@greigbfarm.fsnet.co.uk