Sunday 16th August 1998 Immediate release PRESS RELEASE Local residents arrested for taking direct action to uproot Genetically Engineered crops Eleven people [1], including five local residents were arrested between 11.00 a.m. and 11.20 a.m. today (Sunday 16th August) as they attempted to uproot genetically engineered sugar beet [2] at Sharpe’s Seeds Ltd, Boothby Graffoe, 12 miles south of Lincoln. Eight members of the local group, which is part of the genetiX snowball campaign [3], were arrested by the police, as they reached the release site. The remaining three were successful in uprooting genetically engineered (GE) sugar beet before also being arrested. Lincolnshire police were waiting at the site and those arrested have been taken to Lincoln Police Station [4]. Arrests were made for criminal damage, attempted criminal damage and going equipped to cause criminal damage with gardening tools. Participants of genetix snowball believe GE sugar beet may cause damage to the environment and to other crops[5]. A spokesperson for Sharpe’s Seeds, the owners of the GE plants was also waiting at the site to meet the press. The action was conducted in a calm and peaceful manner. A total of ten GE plants were removed and garden spades were used to dig up the plants. Police confiscated a number of gardening tools. Members of the group wore protective clothing and took measures to ensure that none of the GE material was spread from the site. The GE plants were sealed in bags marked with the biohazard symbol. A letter has been sent to the Environment Agency asking them to safely dispose of the GE material. The group included a company director, a warehouse worker and students. They had been meeting over the past weeks to prepare for the action. The group publicly declaring their intention to remove GE plants from the release site [6] including disclosure of the time and date of their action [7]. A representative from the group also liaised directly with Sharpe’s Seeds, a subsidiary of Zeneca about the proposed action. Each member of the group carried a personal statement of their reasons for taking the action and a pledge committing them to nonviolence, accountability and respect for human life and the environment. Copies of the statements were left at the site. Today’s action is the third in the genetiX snowball campaign, a campaign of nonviolent responsibility which encourages people to take non violent civil responsibility against GE crops. Further actions are expected, including a ‘genetiX harvest’ action on 20th September. GenetiX snowball is calling for a five year moratorium on the release of GE crops into the environment pending further research and public consultation. Becci Neal, a resident of Louth, Lincolnshire said ‘As responsible members of the community we’ve decided to exercise our responsibility to safeguard the health of our local community and the environment by removing these crops’ ENDS Contact details Andrew Wood (press liaison) 0973 953446 or page 07654 247502 Editors Notes [1]Member of the local group arrested include: Martin Shaw (GE campaigner, Manchester), Micheal Brennan (Director of Emerge, Manchester), Andrew Devereux (Student, Lincoln), Chris Disley (Musician, Lincoln), Becci Neal (Student, Louth in Lincolnshire), Victoria Alan (Student, Lincoln), Zack Dykes (Student in Tattershall, Lincolnshire), Colin Campbell (Louth, Lincolnshire), Andrew Taylor (Warehouse Worker, Manchester), Mayatte Hughes (Community Worker, Manchester), Stephen Jones (Campaigner, Manchester) [2] The sugar beet is genetically modified to be resistant to glufosinate and contains an antibiotic resistant marker gene. There is concern that the use of antibiotic marker genes in GE crops will exacerbate the already serious problem of antibiotic resistant infectious disease in humans. The government’s own Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) recommended in 1994 that: "Researchers developing food GMOs [Genetically Modified Organisms] should be encouraged to develop and use alternatives to antibiotic resistance markers and/or methods to jettison those used.” (Report on the use of antibiotic resistance markers in genetically modified food organisms Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) July 1994) [3]The genetiX snowball campaign follows in the tradition of the peace movements Snowball campaign of the late 1980’s. Over three thousand people participated, there were two thousand arrests and one thousand people went to prison. The first genetiX snowball action took place at Model Farm, Watlington, 12 miles from Oxford on July 4th 1998, see press release ‘First arrests in Britain for pulling up genetically engineered crops’ (July 4th 1998). The second genetiX snowball action was at Manor Farm, 3 miles south of Banbury, Oxfordshire, see press release ‘Farmer rejects GE crops’’ (July 18th 1998). There have so far been 16 arrests in the genetiX snowball campaign. [4] Contact Lincolnshire police on 01522 532222 or call the press information line on 01426 957 180. The information line or ‘voice bank’ records that ’Police were called out at about 9.30 a.m. … 30 persons demonstrating … 11 persons arrested … demonstration was peaceful with no injuries’. [5] The purpose of the the test field site as stated in the GMO public register is "to evaluate the level of tolerance to glufosinate and agronomic performance of the GM sugar beet in field trials" which does not address environmental or health concerns of sugar beet and GM crops in general. (GMO public register May 1998 produced by the Department of Environment Transport and the Regions) The Department of the Environment report ‘Genetically modified crops and their wild relatives- A UK perspective’ (1994) states: "The history of hybridisation and introgression between sugar beet and wild beet suggest that, when grown on a commercial scale, the escape of transgenes from the crop is highly possible. Even without hybridisation the transgene may be able to persist in weed beets derived from bolters or volunteers" it goes on to say; "Thus escape of the transgene to a crop weed, and perhaps to a lesser extent to a weed of disturbed habitats, is entirely plausible." [6] There are 41 test field sites in Lincolnshire, the county with third largest number of test filed sites in Britain. [7] The group had openly declared their intention to pull up the crops. See release from genetiX Snowball ‘Genetically engineered crops to be pulled up on Sunday 16th August 1998’, dated 12th August 1998. Picture Editor notes [1]Photographs available from Nick Cobbing, respected freelance photographer whose work has been published in the Guardian, Observer, Times. Call 0973 642 103 or Andrew Testa, winner of the 1997 Nikon award for photography 1997, call 0973 284 307. [2] Video footage of entire action, including people digging up the plants and being arrested, on DVC format available from Joe Hill, freelance film maker, call 07970 924 907 genetiX snowball A campaign of nonviolent civil responsibility One World Centre, 6 Mount Street, Manchester M2 5NS Tel: 0161 834 0295 Fax: 0161 834 8187 Press liaison: Andrew Wood 0973 953 446 or page 07654 247502