15th August 2010
False solutions for false problems – GM vines scythed at INRA (National Institute of the Agricultural Research), Colmar, France by the Faucheurs Volontaires (volunteer GM scythers).
The neutralisation of this crop re-planted in June of this year follows last year’s decontamination of the same trial in September. GM field trials are the first step towards commercialisation, and are useless and unneeded. In 2009 the Strasbourg administrative court banned it.
64 Faucheurs dug up the 70 vines, after cutting their way through the 2m high barbed wire-topped fence, ignoring the motion detectors and CCTV. They then cut the GM plants into pieces with tools, at 5am on Sunday morning. They then held a press conference and waited for the police to arrive. 70 police and gendarmes turned up and encircled them. Once bussed to the cop-shop, other Alsatian farmers held a picnic by the police station in support of those inside, who were released by noon. The police are talking about 1 million Euros worth of damage.
80% of the French public are still opposed to GM, in the fields or on their plates.