Two GM fields squatted in Germany
The past couple of weeks saw two successful field squats in Germany preventing the sowing of genetically modified crops.
On 31 March a proposed gm barley field trial by the University of Gießen was squatted.. Activists squatted the field before the sowing of the crop. They erected a tripod made out of three lengths of wood plus a concrete lock-on dug into the ground and set up a tent camp. To date the field is still squatted with numbers growing all the time. There is growing local support for the action, especially amongst farmers. This action has followed several successful „field liberations“ over the past years, where anti-GM campaigners destroyed the GM crops planted by the University of Gießen. Saturday the 5th April saw hundreds of people and three tractors demonstrate in the city of Gießen for the cancellation of the trial.
On 4 April a second field was squatted in Oberboihingen in South Germany, designated for a trial of GM maize by the University of Nürtingen. Here another 30 feet tripod was erected and activists prepared to sit it out for several weeks.The tripod was soon joined by a circus tent, and a people’s kitchen. Farmers brought straw for the muddy field and local supporters swamped the kitchen with food. Concerts and talks were running in the circus tent. The first day started with 20 people on the field, by the end of the first day there were already 50 people. Just five days later the University saw sense and cancelled the trial! Oberboihingen was also the target of field liberations in the past years, in 2006 a beekeeper openly destroyed 3 plants in a public act of resistance.
These actions are part of the vibrant resistance against GM crops in Germany. Over the past few years Germany has seen a massive growth in GM crop trials and commercial Gm growing, particularly Monsanto maize. This has kicked off a huge public outcry with many people resorting to direct action including the large scale decontamination of GM fields by day and night. Direct action group Gen-dreck Weg! (GM filth – away with it!) has already announced another large scale open field liberation for this summer, where hundreds of people are planning to rip up GM maize.
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Portuguese Judicial Police classifies action against genetically modified corn as a “terrorist” act in Europol report
In the last “EU terrorism situation and trend report” 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’ 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.