Sunday20th September 1998							Immediate release
PRESS RELEASE

Largest GenetiX snowball action 'transforms the land'.

Forty campaigners, under the banner of 'genetiX snowball' have today trespassed onto the UK's foremost 
commercial testing ground for genetically engineered (GE) crops.  They planted organic seeds and flowers as 
examples of  environmentally responsible farming.  They left the land  symbolically 'transformed'.

This is the fourth protest so far of the 'genetiX snowball' campaign and the largest to date.  East Winch Hall near Kings 
Lynn, where the action took place, is the UK headquarters for genetic engineering company AgrEvo, who intend to 
begin commercial plantings of genetically engineered oil seed rape in the UK next year.  This is despite 77% of the UK 
population wanting to see such plantings banned (MORI) [1] and calls by the government's own watchdog on the 
countryside, English Nature, for a three year moratorium on such commercial plantings.  The genetiX snowball 
campaign calls for an immediate five year moratorium all releases of  GE crops .into the environment.

The snowballers, who operated in five 'affinity groups', came from as far afield as Wales, Manchester, the South West 
and the South Coast as well as East Anglia.  Amongst them were four women who face an unlimited damages claim 
from biotechnology giant Monsanto for a previous snowball action [2].  For most however, including a town planner, 
NHS administrator and journalists this was their first involvement with this campaign of nonviolent civil responsibility.

Amongst the transformative actions and peaceful protests that took place: 
? Six year old Jake Firth planted a sapling sweet chestnut tree in the grounds of the testing station.
? Others planted marigolds, daffodils and other flowers 'to bring beauty to the place where this ugly technology 
is being carried out'.
? Banners reading GenetiX Biohazard and 'AgrEvil' were festooned on the gates.
? Street theatre was performed for the management including costumes of colourful mutated insects and a 
symbolic 'die in'.
? Quiet meditative ceremonies were held on the land involving the planting of organic seeds. 

There were no arrests and both the police and AgrEvo maintained a very low key presence.  One of the new 
snowballers, Joan, a 79 year old peace campaigner who worked with Gandhi during the campaign for Indian 
Independence said:
"We think the multinational companies involved are motivated by greed with little regard for the potential 
disasters they are engineering."

The action comes only days after Monsanto extended a previous legal injunction to include any 'member' of genetiX 
snowball[3].  Solicitor Kathryn Tulip, who is one of the snowballers injuncted by Monsanto said:

"Monsanto's legal action is attempting to quosh a campaign that carries the support of most British people - 
the campaign to end these nightmare crops. However today's actions shows that the snowball is gaining 
momentum"

Contacts: Press liaison Andrew Wood, mobile 0973 953 446, page 07654 247 502

Editors Notes

[1] In a poll conducted by the MORI organisation on behalf of research group Genewatch, 77% of repondents said the 
would like to see a ban on the release of genetically engineered  crops in the UK - June 1998.

[2] See previous press release  July 28th 1998: 'Monsanto to silence genetic protesters with unlimited damages claim?
The preliminary hearing of a claim for unlimited damages against five genetics campaigners by Monsanto took place on 
Thursday 30th July 1998 at the High Court, London.  The campaigners, all women, openly dug up fewer then 200 
genetically engineered plants from a Monsanto demonstration site at Model Farm, Oxfordshire on July 4th 1998. One of 
the women removed a single plant yet still face a claim for unlimited damages.

[3]Six named individuals are now forbidden from entering Monsanto genetic crop release sites, interfering with 
Monsanto's crops or  inserting anything into the ground at them. Should anyone else attempt to do these as part of the 
genetiX snowball, with or without their consent then the six injunctees become liable for their damages.  See Press 
release of Friday 17th September 1998  'Monsanto to gag genetiX campaigners'

[4]In scotland today there was an action by Scottish genetiX snowball. Call Stokely Webbster on: 07775 905 686 
regarding the release 'Scottish genetiX snowball citizens inspection'.

[5]Around the UK schools and councils are removing genetically engineered ingredients from school dinners, small 
local campaigns are springing up every week  and tomorrow, Monday 21st September, the wholefood trade will 
announce that  it will not sell gene-foods.  Contact Lindsay Keenan,  Genetix Food Alert! 0141 5547633.

Picture Editor Notes
For still and video pictures of the action today: Stills pictures - Rob Todd 0467 420 283.  Film and video footage 
(DVC) - Zoe Broughton 0961 181 576. 


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