rhythms of resistance sambaistas helped turn today's anti-GM central london demo into a reclaim the streets moment outside the department of environment, farming, and rural affairs in smith square this morning
downing street
smith square
smith square
rhythms of resistance provided the beats on an anti-GM protest in Central London this morning. starting from bedford square, around a thousand protestors joined tractors, other farm machinery, and supermarket trolleys in a march from bedford square to smith square, stopping at the national farmer's union, at downing street to hand in a petition against GM, and finally to the department of environment, farming, and rural affairs (defra).
the sun came out in smith square and a colourful throng danced to the samba beats and reclaimed the streets outside defra for a while.
the pics show the march down downing street, and two pictures of the samba band in smith square.›
the sun came out in smith square and a colourful throng danced to the samba beats and reclaimed the streets outside defra for a while.
the pics show the march down downing street, and two pictures of the samba band in smith square.›
Comments
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Its not the food
14.10.2003 16:35
These are untested, non native genetic variants, which could have devistating effects on the countryside. The benefits of a small percentage in growth in yield (disputed in many cases) does not outwiegh the risk of an infestation of pesticide resistant weeds.
This is the reality Realist, profit over any saftey concerns.
Syntax
Ignorance is bliss?
14.10.2003 16:41
It's for this very reason that those who DO have an opinion on GM Food, who DO understand the science of Genetic Engineering and DO have legitimate concerns about it's use want to make sure that it doesn't creep into widespread use without evidence either way on the consequences!
Discussions, Campaigns, Demonstrations are taking place NOW so that you can safely be without an opinion.
However, I believe you are misguided in your attitude that GM will result in cheaper food for the consumer. GM will NOT provide more food, better food or cheaper food and will certainly not provide solutions to world hunger. It is purely a source of profit for the patent holding corporations.
For example, many GM crops include terminator genes so that they don't re-seed themselves. This means that rather than collecting seeds from each harvest the farmer has to buy new seeds from the company for each season of growth.
Some GM crops are designed to increase use of herbicides, e.g. 'Round up ready' - designed to survive spraying with greater quantities of Monsanto's 'round up' herbicide. This simply encourages farmers to spend more on Monsanto's chemical product than they would have before. In other words, monsanto's GM product has been developed to boost sales of it's other products. Increased use of herbicides will of course in themselves have detrimental effects on the environment. There are many similar examples.
There is much concern about the effects of GM material on human health, the environment, world economies, etc. There is much evidence to indicate cause for concern and NO evidence that it would be positive. GM has already been released into the environment. There is an abundance of evidence that cross polination and also gene transfer via bacteria is already taking place. There are fears that it may soon become impossible to source completely GM free food. Already the EU defines GM free as less than 0.9% GM Content. This is unsatisfactory. There is a high demand for GM free food sources and uncertainty about the future impact of GM. You may not have an opinion either way at the moment on GM food, but what if you do in the future? What if your children or grandchildren do? Do you have an opinion either way on whether they should be able to make that choice?
Environmentalist