On Sunday 30th May in Wetteren, Belgium, a GM potato field was successfully decontaminated by a mixture of local and international demonstrators.

As one participant at the International Field Liberation Day commented:

“The media in Belgium has been going bonkers. Ghent University is threatening to sack one of the co-organisers, as she is a scientist there. The 250 activists who were present around the fenced area are also threatened with being taken to court. I say "Fine - bring it on!"

All the negotiations concerning the demo were done with the police, with full permission and understanding. There was no violence whatsoever except on the police side, with malicious truncheonings on two occasions. The French’ Faucheurs Volontaires’ (voluntary reapers of GM) were present, as this was a supported ‘European Field Liberation’.

The media state that the crop was destroyed by a dozen activists, but they forget to mention that those few that managed to enter the contaminated area were supported by another 250 people outside. These demonstrators also desired to enter and help replant the area with GM free potatoes. However, they were prevented from doing so, and thus carrying out their civil duty, defending the environment from GM contamination.

Of course, BASF public relations are working extra hard on this!

The media needs to be shifted to 'Whose science is it anyway?'
It’s time we stopped this GM contamination - time is running out - or are we waiting ‘til all on our plate is patented?

I was at this brilliant demo - and it was well organised with a debating area, and fresh veg stalls with local farmers represented. It was created in good spirit and the mutual feeling that we need a better world, a sustainable world. Is it a shame we have to defend it, and use so much of our valuable time endeavouring to get the decision makers to understand that there are alternatives under our noses. GM is not a silver bullet and we should learn from our historic experiences with "foot and mouth' and "mad cow" disease. The scientific evidence is out there clearly proving that this is an unsafe technology and it will effect the health of our future generations if we don’t act now. I really felt empowered and proud to be there in Wetteren! We’ve really got to STAND OUR GROUND ! Dal dy Dir!”