Party : Respondent
Deponent : Alex Potts : 1st
Sworn :        July 1999


IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE 1998-M-NO 1180
QUEENS BENCH DIVISION
BETWEEN

 MONSANTO PLC  Plaintiff

-and-

(1) ROWAN TILLY
(2) JO HAMILTON
(3) KATHRYN TULIP
(4) MELANIE JARMAN
(5) ZOE ELFORD
(6) ANDREW WOOD
(sued on their own behalf and on behalf of all the 
other members or
 representatives of "genetiX snowball", an 
unincorporated association)  Defendants


- and -

Alex Potts
Respondent


AFFIDAVIT OF ALEX POTTS 


I, Alex Potts of 207A Upper Chalton Road, Whalley 
Range M16 OBH make oath and say as follows:

1. On the 16th of June 1999 I attended Cereals '99 
held at Vine farm, Wendy in Hertfordshire.I entered 
the show at around 11;00am and then after briefly 
walking around the site, and establishing which plots 
were containing GMO's.

2.  I went behind Monsanto's stall and began putting 
on a white biohazard suit which I hoped would 
minimalise the risk of my clothes being contaminated 
by Liberty (a broad-spectrum herbicide) and any 
further genetic pollution. I then walked around to 
the front of the promotional plots and calmly and 
carefully began removing the plants, and putting them 
into plastic bags.

3.  I focused on what I was doing and removed less 
than 100 individual plants . I stopped at one moment 
to plead with one gentleman who was being abusive and 
violent . I politely asked him to "please stop" and 
"not be violent". He did not reply but did stop his 
unnecessary behaviour. Except for this I did not look 
up at anyone. At  one moment I heard someone shout 
"You're twats",  to which I replied "That is not 
true" .

4. After I had finished  removing plants from the 
demonstrational plot, I tied up the plastic bags they 
were within ,and left the bags neatly by the side of 
the plot. One of the bags was slightly ripped but I 
made sure that it was clearly visible so that it 
could be removed safely. I then began talking to 
journalists and others explaining the reasons for my 
actions. 

5. Within minutes the security arrived and politely 
asked me to leave which I did. I was kindly allowed 
to remove my biohazard suit within twenty or-so 
metres of Monsanto's stall. I was escorted away from 
the site in a big car  after giving a policeman my 
name and address. 

6. I did not know that an injunction against  six 
other people that I know very little about ,  was 
relevant  to me or my co-defendants ,and presumed 
that to break an injunction one must be first aware 
of it. I was not at the court on the 20th April nor 
have I seen the injunction.