Portuguese judicial police has stated in its contribution to the “EU terrorism situation and trend report” of Eurpol that last summer's partial destruction of a GMO field in south portugal is classified as an act of terrorism.
In the last “EU terrorism situation and trend report”(1) of Europol, the partial mowing of a field in Silves (Portugal), last summer, is classified as a terrorist act. In France, Germany and the UK, similar actions are often far more radical and happen regularly. Yet, they are not classified as terrorist acts in the report. Currently, in Germany an occupation of experimental GM fields is taking place.
The Portuguese radio station ‘Radio Clube’(2) was the first to report on the Europol document. But even the lawyer of the accusing party declared that he could not see any elements that would justify to label the destruction of the GM field of his client as ‘terrorist’. A specialist in penal law also declared he could not establish any relation between the action in Silves and terrorist acts.
It is becoming obvious that the Portuguese government is grabbing all opportunities to crush opposition against GM crops, by classifying a non-violent political action as an act of terrorism. They had this opportunity here because the Europol report is written based on the contributions of the relevant authorities of each EU member state. When a democracy is weak, police, in this case judicial police can afford to spread this kind of nonsense in an official report. And it does not only affect the ones involved in this particular case, but it oppresses everyone struggling for a better world, without GMOs.
(1) EU terrorism situation and trend report;
http://www.europol.europa.eu/publications/EU_Terrorism_Situation_and_Trend_Report_TE-SAT/TESAT2008.pdf
(2) http://radioclube.clix.pt/noticias/body.aspx?id=7015
The Portuguese radio station ‘Radio Clube’(2) was the first to report on the Europol document. But even the lawyer of the accusing party declared that he could not see any elements that would justify to label the destruction of the GM field of his client as ‘terrorist’. A specialist in penal law also declared he could not establish any relation between the action in Silves and terrorist acts.
It is becoming obvious that the Portuguese government is grabbing all opportunities to crush opposition against GM crops, by classifying a non-violent political action as an act of terrorism. They had this opportunity here because the Europol report is written based on the contributions of the relevant authorities of each EU member state. When a democracy is weak, police, in this case judicial police can afford to spread this kind of nonsense in an official report. And it does not only affect the ones involved in this particular case, but it oppresses everyone struggling for a better world, without GMOs.
(1) EU terrorism situation and trend report;
http://www.europol.europa.eu/publications/EU_Terrorism_Situation_and_Trend_Report_TE-SAT/TESAT2008.pdf (2)
http://radioclube.clix.pt/noticias/body.aspx?id=7015 
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Film about the action
09.04.2008 15:42
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Johan Diels
dont throw away 34 years of progress....
10.04.2008 02:08
34 years later some idiot is busy playing his part in trying to turn the clock back, 35 years!
I would say to anyone in portugal who cares: don't put up with this nonsense!
If you speak portuguese have a look at this and remember the past. If you dont speak portuguese then look at the pictures and work it out for yourself!
If you are too young to remember what happend and why, ask someone who was around then! The carnations in the gun barrels were GM free! I am utterly outraged that, in portugal, someone should dare call non violent protest an act of terrorism. Time to name and shame.
appalled