g e n e t i X   s n o w b 
a l l
a   c a m p a i g n   o f   n o n v i o l e n t   c i v i l   
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

One World Centre, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS.  Tel: 0161 834 0295   
Fax: 0161 834 8187

27 March 1999

PRESS RELEASE

GenetiX campaigners confiscate GM 
foods from supermarkets

Today four campaigners from genetiX snowball 
London openly confiscated several baskets full of 
genetically modified (GM) products from a Tesco 
supermarket in London.  One campaigner was arrested 
for theft.  She had attempted to put organic products on 
the shelves as alternatives but the supermarket declined 
to accept them.  Another snowball group in Manchester 
confiscated two trolleys full of GM goods from 
Safeways.

This was the launch of a new chapter in the genetiX 
snowball campaign to make the UK a GM free zone.  Last 
summer snowballers openly pulled up GM plants in test 
field sites to halt genetic pollution; now the snowball is 
rolling into supermarkets calling for guaranteed GM free 
products.  Manager Brian McLaughlin stated that Tescos 
had no plans to remove GM ingredients from their own 
brand products as other supermarkets have done.

All campaigners provided signed statements explaining the 
reasons for their "act of nonviolent civil responsibility".  
They displayed the conficated GM cache outside Tescos in 
a "biohazard dump" and explained the risks of GM food to 
customers as they entered the store.  They went on to 
Safeways to carry out further "decontamination" but were 
prevented from entering by police.  The arrested woman 
was released without charge.

As she was led away Rowan Tilly of genetiX snowball 
London said,  "Tescos are breaking the law by selling food 
which is not proven to be safe and which is endangering 
other farmers' crops in the production process through 
genetic pollution.  I intend to carry on decontaminating 
supermarkets and I hope others will join in".

On Monday 29 March London snowballers will deliver 
the confiscated GM goods to the Ministry of 
Agriculture, Fisheries and Food reporting them as a 
biohazard.  Manchester snowballers will take their 
products to the local Environment Agency.

ENDS

For further information:

London:  Rowan Tilly on mobile until 29 March:  0780 
105 5657

Ph/Fx  01273 625173 after 29 March.

Stills photographs:  Rob Todd:  07977 275563.

Film footage contact above numbers. 

Manchester:  Martin Shaw on 07930 529024

NOTES TO PICTURE EDITOR

1.  Still photographs from Rob Todd  07977 275563 and 
film footage are available of all stages of the genetiX 
snowball action on Saturday 27 March.  

2.  Still photographs of the first genetiX snowball action on 
4 July are available from David Hoffman: 0181 981 5041.
Photographs of the injuncted campaigners on the steps of 
the Royal Courts of Justice are available from ISF on 
Image Net or call photographer Rob Todd: 0467 420 283.

3.   Film footage of actions, including campaigners digging 
up crops, on DVC format is available from Zoe Broughton, 
an award winning film maker whose work has been 
broadcast nationally.  Call 0961 181 576.

NOTES TO EDITOR

1.  Last July genetiX snowball participants received 
injunctions from Monsanto, a trans-national biotechnology 
corporation, for removing GM crops from one of their test 
sites.  The "snowball six" will be defending themselves 
against the injunction at a summary judgement hearing 
at the Royal Courts of Justice, The Strand, London on 
19/20 April 1999. 

2.  The genetiX snowball campaign has now carried out a 
total of seven actions including these three.  There are now 
local groups in Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Frome, 
Glastonbury, Hemmel Hempstead, Kent, Lincolnshire, 
London, Oxford, Manchester and Nottingham.  Local 
snowball groups will be taking action in their localities 
on 17 April 1999 as part of the "Silent Spring" snowball 
actions.

3.  genetiX snowball is calling for a five year moratorium 
on GM crops and products and is a signatory to the Five 
Year Freeze campaign which is an alliance of 29 national 
organisations calling for a freeze on GM crops, imports and 
patenting in food and farming.

4.  genetiX snowball consider all their "decontamination" 
actions to be legitimate and although they currently have 
civil proceedings brought against them from Monsanto, so 
far they have not been charged with a criminal offence for 
any action.

5.  London snowballers included:  Bob Phillips, Jonny 
Richardson,  Noah Tucker and Rowan Tilly.

6.  On 17 March major European supermarkets set up a 
consortium to ensure no GM ingredients would end up in 
their own label products.  The consortium was pioneered by 
Sainsbury and includes Marks & Spencer.  Other 
supermarkets who have pledged GM free own brand 
products include Asda and Waitrose.  Safeway, Somerfield 
and Tesco have refused to make any policy changes.

7.  For press releases detailing previous genetiX snowball 
actions, contact Andrew Wood 0973 953 446.

For further information:
London:  Rowan Tilly on mobile until 29 March:  0780 
105 5657
Ph/Fx  01273 625173 after 29 March.
Manchester:  Martin Shaw on 07930 529024