Starting at about 7:30 am today 17 anti-GM activists successfully blockaded Bayer CropScience's UK HQ near Cambridge. 5 people locked on using heavy weight metal arm tubes blocking vehical access to the site. Another activist locked on to the underside of a lorry entering the site. Other people managed to climb on the roof of the building and hung banners. Police eventually managed to clear the site of protesters at around 1:00pm. 8 people were arrested and are currently being held at Cambridge police station.

Why Bayer CropScience?
Bayer CropScience are the company leading the rush towards commercial growing of GM crops in the UK and Europe. In 2002 over 85% of GM crop trials grown in the UK used seed now owned by Bayer. Bayer's GM T25 is the GM crop closest to commercialisation in the UK (maybe happening as soon as April 2004). Forget Monsanto, rest in peace Aventis CropScience, Bayer CropScience are GM public enemy number one in the UK. Stopping them is key to stopping GM crops in the UK

Why today?
Today is Bayer AG's(Bayer CropScience's parent company) AGM in Cologne, Germany. The blockade was timed to coincide with an action by UK activists in Germany at the AGM (see earlier posts on the news wire). We hope to cause maximum embarassment to Bayer, and send a clear message to the company in its shareholders that if they try to commercialise GM crops there will be trouble.


see www.bayerhazard.com and www.cbgnetwork.org for more information on bayer