Saturday 17th April 1999 PRESS RELEASE Local communities support peaceful action against genetically modified food and crops On Saturday 19th April eighty eight people at five different sites around the country took part in ‘Silent Spring - An action to make our food, our land and our future free from genetically modified crops’[1]. Three actions in CAMBRIDGESHIRE, WORCESTERSHIRE and NORTH YORKSHIRE involved Citizen’s Inspections of release sites for genetically modified (GM) plants. The other two actions in BRIGHTON and STREET, Somerset involved the confiscation of foods containing genetically modified organisims (GMOs) from supermarkets. GenetiX snowball actions are open, accountable and nonviolent. ‘Silent Spring’ actions foreshadow a High Court hearing on Monday 19th April between Monsanto and genetiX snowball [2]. Citizens Inspections of GMO release sites Worcestershire At 2.00 p.m. twenty people from Genetics Action Bristol (GAB), some dressed in white suits attempted to inspect a release site for GM oil seed rape at East Lodge Farm, Stanton near Broadway in Worcestershire. The ‘inspectors’ walked to the site carrying banners but were blocked by between 15 - 20 police officers headed by Chief Inspector Paul Smithson from Cheltenham Police Station, whom GAB had contacted prior to their inspection. The farmer, Mr Beldon, to whom GAB had written met with a delegation of two people from the group and they gave him a gift of organic food which he accepted. He refused to allow them to inspect the trial site and warned them that they would be trespassing (a civil offence) if they came on to his land and he asked them to leave. Three people then found an alternative path onto the land but were stopped by police and told they would be arrested for breach of the peace if they continued, despite there being no apparent reason for harassment, alarm or distress. Two of the ‘inspectors’ were then forcibly escorted from the land. There were no arrests and police later commented on the calm and reasonable behaviour of the inspectors. After half an hour GAB left the site to leaflet the local community and hope to build an active local campaign. Monsanto, Plant Genetic Systems and CPB Twyford have release sites for GM oil seed rape at East Lodge Farm. Non GM oil seed rape in the vicinity of the release sites was already in flower. The inspectors could not see whether the GM oil seed rape was also in flower. The group had intended to check whether the release sites are safe and meeting the statutory regulations. Press Liaison: Wilf Mound 0117 977 5601 and on-site liaison (Saturday 17th only) Lyndon 07801 061 247 (detailed press release available) Picture Editor Notes: Freelance photographer Simon Chapman was on site (tel: 0589 747 916) Cambridgeshire At 11.30 a.m. twenty people walked to the site at Abbotts Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire with a number of banners saying ‘NO to GMO’ and ‘Genetic food is bad because …’. They inspected a release site for GM oil seed rape undertaken for plant breeders CPB Twyford Ltd. The release site is located on land owned by Lord de Ramsey who is Chairman of the Environment Agency. The release site was marked out with biohazard signs and samples of weeds grown in borders were taken for identification and to assess the likelihood of cross pollination. Local people from the neighbouring villages of St Ives and Abbotts Ripton were amongst the group. Children and older people meant that a whole cross section of society was present. A number of police officers were present but didn’t intervene. The oil seed rape is about 4 ft high with bright yellow flowers. Adjacent fields also grow non GM rape and there are concerns about cross pollination. The width of the barrier crop was measured to see that it was complying with the regulations. The gathering left at about 2.00 p.m. Cambridgeshire genetiX snowball had written to Lord De Ramsey expressing their concerns, reassuring him of their peaceful intentions and requested a meeting during the inspection. Unfortunately on Thursday 15th April Lord de Ramsey declined the meeting. A post inspection follow up meeting at St Neots is planned. Press Liaison: Lucy Fife 01223 331 629 (detailed press release available) Picture Editor Notes: Freelance photographer Alan Stevens 01603 764 083 will be on site. Video footage also available North Yorkshire At 12.30 p.m eight people from Manchester genetiX snowball delivered one thousand leaflets alerting the communities in Tadcaster, Wetherby, Boston Spar and Bramham to GM release sites at Headley Hall, Tadcaster. Leaflets will also be delivered in the local organic veg box scheme and posters were put up at schools, shops and local churches. The leaflets advertise a public meeting at Bramham village hall on 12th May at 7.30 p.m. and express concern about the release of GM plants into the environment. The leaflet has reportedly been well received. At about 5.30 p.m. a citizens inspection of the release site at Headley Hall was conducted. It was founded to have been destroyed, apparently by application of chemicals by covert action. GenetiX snowball was not involved in that action. Further spring plantings of GM crops are planned at the site. Press Liaison: Martin Shaw 07930 529 024 Supermarket actions Brighton At 11.00 a.m three criminal investigators, Rowan Tilly, Claire Whalley and Martin Packer from Brighton genetiX snowball confiscated food products (without payment) from Safeway’s Supermarket, St James Street in Brighton. Two baskets of 20 food products including ready meals, confectionery and a pork pie were taken to Brighton Police Station, Johns Street by bicycle trailer. Another basket of food products was emptied into a ‘biohazard’ dump (a plastic dustbin labelled with ‘biohazard’ symbols). The store’s security guard removed these goods and returned them to the store. Statements of the reason for the investigator’s actions were given to one of the checkout staff. Another 12 people leafleted shoppers and staffed a stall during the morning. At about 12.15 p.m the evidence (food products) was delivered to the police station. An statement indicting the supermarket and the British government of: breaking the Food Safety Act 1990, Section 14: ‘selling food which is not of the nature or substance or quality demanded by the purchaser’ a reference to the GMO content of food products and Section 15: ‘selling food which is falsely described’ a reference to GMOs like soya lecithin which need not be labelled under current labelling regulations for GMOs; aiding and abetting criminal damage as described in the Criminal Damage Act 1971 a reference to the damage to crops caused by cross pollination or horizontal gene transfer from genetically modified crops. The Police refused to instigate an investigation saying that alleged breaches of the Food Safety Act were the responsibility of Environmental Health Officers. They also said that if criminal damage had occurred due to gene pollution from GM crops that this had not occurred in their local area and it was hence not their responsibility to investigate. The ‘duty of care’ of food retailers was also discussed but this seems to be a matter of civil law except where covered by the Food Safety Act. The police refused to allow the confiscated food products to be delivered to the Environmental Health Officer and phoned the supermarket, who declined to press charges. The three investigators left the Police Station at 1.20 p.m. Press liaison: Rowan Tilly and on-site liaison telephone 0780 1055 657 (detailed press release available) Picture Editor Notes: Photographs by freelance photographer Toby Adamson (tel: 0802 681 014) and video footage by freelance film maker Mark Carol on Hi-8 format is available (contact Rowan Tilly). Street, Somerset At 10.45 a.m Prospective Green Party M.E.P for the South-West David Taylor took part in this supermarket action similar to the Brighton genetiX snowball action at Tesco’s store in Street. Four other people took part: Shannon Coggins (also known as the ‘Beanfeast One’) who was acquitted in August 1998 of ‘intent to cause anxiety or alarm to person or persons’ by labelling Batchelor’s Beanfeast with GMO warning stickers; Helen Connerton, a grandmother; Jaine Belcher, a mother of two; and Francois Joly, a documentary film maker. The in-store security guard challenged one person who was not a investigator but no action was taken when products estimated to be worth £200 were removed from the store without payment. Replacements of organic food and statements written by investigators explaining their action were given to the store manager. He read a pre- prepared statement from Simon Soffe, Corporate Affairs Manager at Tesco to the assembled media. Two trolleys of food products were emptied into a ‘biohazard’ bin. The bin and baskets of evidence were processed through the town to the police station with a crowd of about fifty people who had gathered outside the store. They carried banners saying ‘77% say NO to GMOs’ and ‘Stop before it’s too late’. A Street Police station. Sergeant Hanchet and Sergeant Dean refused to accept the evidence believing it to be from criminal action and warning them they may be liable to criminal proceedings if the food products were not returned. They also wrote a statement saying a ‘peaceful demonstration has been held for which we are grateful’ and jokingly suggested the investigators should consider careers with CID. On Monday 19th April the evidence will be presented to the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food in London. Press Liaison: Patrick Whitfield 01458 832 317, (detailed press release available) Picture Editor Notes: Video footage or photographs are available. CONTACT: Andrew Wood Tel: 0973 953 446, page: 07654 247 502 ENDS Editors Notes [1] A second injunction has been applied for by biotechnology companies AgrEvo/PGS against the six defendants and ‘members’ of genetiX snowball in response to the impending day of action. See press release 13th April ‘AgrEvo/PGS follow Monsanto in targeting genetic campaigners with injunctions’. [2] See press release ‘Monsanto set to lose court case on Monday 19th April 1999’ from genetiX snowball. Picture Editors Notes [1] Photographs of genetiX snowball actions and previous court appearances are available on ImageNet under the David Hoffman or ISF sections. David Hoffman: 0181 981 5041. ISF: 01628 542 554. The David Hoffman photo library carries copies of photographs from the first genetiX snowball action on 4th July 1998. Video footage of court appearances and the genetiX snowball action on July 4th 1998 available on all formats from award winning film maker Zoe Broughton on: 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 Browse: http://www.gn.apc.org/pmhp/gs Press liaison: Andrew Wood 0973 953 446 or page 07654 247502