Corrib campaigner on hunger strike in Castlerea prison

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On Monday 17th of June Corrib campaigner Liam Heffernan began a hunger strike in protest against his continued detention in Castlerea prison.

View image on Twitter

On Monday 17th of June Corrib campaigner Liam Heffernan began a hunger strike in protest against his continued detention in Castlerea prison.

On Wednesday morning the 12th of June Liam Heffernan – a campaigner from the Rossport Solidarity Camp – was arrested at Aughoose, County Mayo under sections 8 and 9 of the Public Order Act for allegedly obstructing Shell construction vehicles without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

At Belmullet Garda station Mr. Heffernan was offered to enter into a bail bond with the condition that he stay away from the Shell tunnelling compound at Aughoose. After refusing this extraordinary condition, he was remanded to Catlerea prison, Co. Roscommon for two days until the court sat on Friday morning last.

In Harristown Court, Castlerea, Mr. Heffernan, defending himself, read a statement to the court saying that he believed he was being illegally detained and informed the Judge of some of the history of the Corrib gas project and his reasons for protesting at Aughoose. The Judge replied that he should take up these issues with the High Court and/or the Government. At this point Mr. Heffernan accepted to enter into the bail conditions set out by the Judge and to appear before Belmullet District Court on the 10th of July.

The Judge however found problems with Mr. Heffernan's signature and remanded the campaigner in custody until the next sitting of Harristown court.

Today, Thursday the 20th of June, marks Liam's ninth day in prison and fourth day on hunger strike. Supporters of Liam are invited to attend Harristown Court, Castlerea, tomorrow,  Friday the 21st of June at 10.30am

 

Shell speedboats ram and sink kayaker for Corrib gas project

19 June 2013. On Sunday Shell began laying the offshore umbilical pipeline for the Corrib Gas Project. Kayakers from the Rossport Solidarity Camp entered Broadhaven Bay to protest against the continued imposition of the disastrous project.

19 June 2013. On Sunday Shell began laying the offshore umbilical pipeline for the Corrib Gas Project. Kayakers from the Rossport Solidarity Camp entered Broadhaven Bay to protest against the continued imposition of the disastrous project.

The Gardai are allowing Shell increasingly to police the protests themselves, by using their private security force – IRMS, and at sea, so called extra "safety" boats.

Do you want private militias operating in Ireland at the behest of the most powerful corporations in the world?

If not you are welcome to come to Mayo, check out the situation for yourself, and if you like add your skill, creativity and time to the resistance.

Berlin-Kreuzberg: Soli-demo for the revolt in Turkey (Germany)

15/06/13

Berlin-Kreuzberg salutes the people revolting in Turkey

15/06/13

Berlin-Kreuzberg salutes the people revolting in Turkey

Everyday since the beginning of the revolt about two weeks ago, people went on the streets in Berlin to show their solidarity with the ongoing fights in Turkey. Another short and wild demonstration took place in the center of Kreuzberg yesterday evening, the 7th of June, where around 50 people marched towards Kottbusser Tor, shouting slogans and lighting fireworks.

Material from a construction site got pulled on the street, so after a short while the traffic was blocked in every direction. The cops, that were making a drugraid at this moment, got attacked with stones, paintbombs and fire. After that the mob dispersed.

Shortly before the demonstrators reached Kottbusser Tor, leaflets were spread in the close area. The text was written in turkish and german and circulated some days before fridays action. Banners were hung up as well saying „Berlin salutes Istanbul-for social revolt worldwide“ and „Özgürlük için omuz omuza!“ („Side by side towards freedom“). As was written in the newspapers two people got arrested by the cops and released the next day.

We send our solidarity to them as well, since they are facing the repression of the police and the state justice system.

We will be back again, where, when and how we want. Take part in the demonstrations, prepare actions and show the rebels that we are fighting on their side, just in a different city.

Our thoughts are with the families, friends and comrades of Mehmet Ayvalıtaş, Abdullah Cömert and Ethem Sarısülük, that got killed during the revolt.

Freedom for the prisoners!

Side by side towards freedom!

The leaflet that was handed out:

Solidarity with the revolting people

People flock the streets, barricades are set up, cars are burning and everything thats not fixed gets thrown at the police. The sky is clouded by teargas and a scream for freedom makes its way through the dust.
The planned destruction of one of the last green spots in Istanbul, to have a shopping mall instead, was the spark that brought thousand of people on the streets for resistance. Until now the revolt spread like a wildfire all over the country.

No matter how different the motivations and reasons of everyone involved may be, they open new spaces of self-organization, solidarity and controversy by bursting the existent.
All these things that are rarely happening in this world as we know it. Between school, work, paying your rent, feeding your family and so on, it looks like there is no time to dispute with the destruction of our environment.
We like the fact, that there are people that still doing exactly that. As we can see, the small fights in your daily life can be the trigger of a general uprising.
We are recognizing the smoke signals of the cities and we see these fights matching up with our own ones- against displacement, degradation and police violence.
That’s why we call out for solidarity with the people of the uprising. Let them see the signals on Bosporus as well, so that they are not all one.

Side by side towards freedom! (A)

Reclaim the Fields and Climate camp 2013 in Colone, Germany

Reclaim the Fields and AusgeCO2hlt invite you to an actioncamp in Rhineland, close to Cologne (Germany), from 23.8. until 6.9. 2013.

Reclaim the Fields and AusgeCO2hlt invite you to an actioncamp in Rhineland, close to Cologne (Germany), from 23.8. until 6.9. 2013. For three days we will take collective direct action against the open cast mining in Rhineland. Furthermore there will be a program including different practical and theoretical workshops, discussions and a lot more.

 

http://www.reclaimthefields.org/camp2013

On the background of the struggles in Rhineland we want to facilitate an exchange of dissident knowledge and action.We invite to 14 days of networking, collective learning and discussion as well as practical activities to exchange knowledge and skills and to resist in the Rhineland.

Apart from the three days of action there will be a lot of space for Workshops and getting to know each other to create new links.The Camp is a participatory process and waits for your contribution! We are looking forward to your ideas, contents and skills to create a program together.

You are artists, activists, peasants, urban gardeners, are living on a collective farm or are active in political campaigns or groups? You want to share you experiences, pass and broaden your knowledge? Then you are welcome to do this in the course of workshops, discussions, practical work or in other ways.

We look forward to alternative ideas on topics like collective and solidariy form of living and working beyond capitalism and structures of exploitation. Everything that strengthens our diverse daily and organized resistance is welcome.

Contact us at program (at) reclaimthefields.org

Some potential themes for workshops to inspire you:

foodsouvereignty // right wing politics in eco movement // animal rights/animal Liberation // self-supply/-sufficiency // self-organisation // access to land // connecting urban and rural struggles // urban supply of rural collectives (Community Supported Agriculture, Non-Commercial Agriculture) // permaculture // Private Properties – Commons // History and development of Agriculture: Agriculture and Capitalism (Green Revolution) // land liberation through purchase of land (different means of access to land: squatting, buying, etc) // how to organise struggles, „how to do resistance“/share and learn forms of resistance // energy // botany/knowlegde of herbs and plants

What is Ausgeco2hlt?

Our Campaign sees itself as an open platform where different groups and individuals can network with each other, educate themselves and take collective action. Our aim is to organize a broad protest movement against RWE¹ and for the immediate shut down of the open cast mines in the Rhineland coal fields.

We see the protest against brown coal as part of a global climate movement against Coal-energy, the exploitation of shale gas, Carbon-dioxide storage, etc. and stand in solidarity with energy struggles against fossil-nuclear capitalism.

We are convinced that in order to facilitate a true energy transformation, monopolised power structures have to be questioned and we have to change the rules of the game of the concurrent economy, built upon limitless growth and consumption of resources.Thus we support initiatives for self-determined ways of living as an alternative to superfluous consumption. At the same time we demand a collectivization of energy companies and a decentralized energy supply with renewable energies.

What is Reclaim the Fields?

Reclaim the Fields is a europewide constellation of peasants, landless and prospective peasants, as well as people who are taking back control over food production.We support and encourage people to stay on the land and go back to the countryside. We promote food sovereignty (as defined in the Nyéléni declaration) and peasant agriculture, as well as alternative ways of life.We are determined to create alternatives to capitalism through cooperative, collective, autonomous, real-needs-oriented, small-scale production and initiatives. We are putting theory into practice and linking local practical action with global political struggles.

Seeds

The "Reclaim the seeds" working group invites people to come with selfproduced seeds and any document they think would be nice to share. With the practise of seed swap's we want to reflect about the subject of seeds collectively.

A Camp welcoming Children

The Camp is meant to be a children friendly space, where children and their affinity persons have a space and are included in actions, the program and other camp activities. We are aware that political actions and camps often contain obstacles for parents and affinity person of children and thus exclude them. Taking into account the real needs of children and affinity persons we want to create a space for everyone. Please feel welcome to come to the camp and participate! We would be happy if you would get in touch with us beforehand in order to talk about an adequate arrangement.

No space for Racism or Sexism – Not at the Camp nor anywhere else

The camp explicitly takes a stand against Sexism and Racism as well as other forms of domination on the basis of hierarchical social categories, the camp positions itself determinant against sexist and racist acts.

Costs of the Camp

We try to organize the camp as low-cost as possible but are dependent on your solidarity contributions. Please get in touch with us if you want to come but the travel is too expensive for you. We want to make it possible for everybody to come and share travel costs in a collective manner, but can not guarantee anything.

Visa

If you need a Visa to get to the camp an want to be supported in that case, get in touch with us at – camp2013_AT_reclaimthefields.org

Information and contact

More, up to date, information about the program, how to get to the camp, food, camping, etc. can be found at www.reclaimthefield.org/camp/2013

Through the mailadress camp2013_AT_reclaimthefields.org you can reach us with questions about the camp.

For workshops please write to program[at]reclaimthefields.org.

For more information about RtF and Ausgeco2hlt visit: reclaimthefields.org and ausgeco2hlt.de

Register for the camp at: reclaimthefields.org/registration

The more people register the easier it is for us to plan!

Feel free to forward this call to individuals or groups you know and come to the camp!

Resistance is fertile!

Your Camp-Organisation

 

¹RWE is Germanys second biggest energy supply concern, that keeps on using cole as th main energy and has compared to other european companies a very low share of regenerative energies in the mix of energies. RWE is being critisised of doing greewashing with "climate campaigns" whilst through open cast mining a lot of nature and towns are being destroyed, aswell as lowering the groundwater.

Riot Police Raid Gezi Gardens and Evict Treesits

Police removing tree-sitter.

14/06/13.

Police removing tree-sitter.

14/06/13. Police removing tree-sitter.

As police in Turkey continue to try and remove people from Gezi Park in Istanbul, last night over 100 riot police raided the encampment at Fell and Laguna, arresting 7 people, removed tree sitters, and destroyed crops and structures. A seen in one video, one tree-sitter fell from their tree while being removed, although it is unclear if they have any serious injuries.

According to Liberate the Land, “Folks are gathering at Patricia’s Green on Octavia Street between Hayes Street and Fell Street now after a night time lightning raid by SFPD on #GeziGardens, the former site of Hayes Valley Farm on Oak and Laguna Streets, with guns drawn. Folks who just went through the raid and supporters need food, a kitchen, sleeping bags, banner making materials, paint, etc. Come gather with us today, meet up for a discussion at 6pm, and definitely plan to come here Friday at 6pm for a reconvergence. Let it build.”

 

Police blocking of street in front of garden

Police blocking of street in front of garden

Police appear to have the area around the garden blocked off while they destroy the rest of the encampment. As was planned, people will continue to gather at Octavia and Fell Streets to prepare to retake the land on Friday at 6pm. People are encouraged to take part in the mobilization and bring supplies if they are not able to make it out. Occupiers have planned a weekend long festival from Saturday to Monday, to coincide with the construction of the new development on the site of the garden.

Protester received a black eye from SFPD

Protester received a black eye from SFPD

As usual, most mainstream media reports are now heralding the raid, portraying protesters as out of town idiot hippies with no community support what-so-ever. Interesting how when hundreds, including many locals came through the gates for a festival last Saturday, most media was remarkably absent. The media loves a good protest story, but they love the happy ending of the government coming in, cracking skulls, and sending those that would dare resist to jail. It’s a tale that they constantly repeat and it serves as a warning to anyone else that would dare stand up to the forces of the state and business as to where struggling will get you.

The luxury condo development which is slated to take place where the garden now stands will be part of an onslaught of developments which will add to the gentrification of San Francisco and the continued displacement of many of the current residents. As the Guardian recently wrote: “Regional planners want to put 280,000 more people into San Francisco — and they admit that many current residents will have to leave.”

Police and protesters outside of Gezi Gardens

Police and protesters outside of Gezi Gardens

While the construction plans call for half of the site to be “affordable housing,” this is based on half of the median income of the city, which is around $60,000, still much more than many people, including many families are able to make in the city. Trust me, if some Hayes Valley Residents are uncomfortable rubbing elbows with Occupy protestors working a tomato plant, they aren’t going to allow a family from the Tenderloin or Hunter’s Point to move in next door.

San Francisco is still a city swimming with thousands of vacant properties. According to the San Francisco Business Times, “[The city] has more than 30,000 empty homes according to 2010 U.S. Census data. That means about 8.3 percent or about one in every dozen homes is vacant — more than any other surrounding county.” There is a reason for all the vacant homes as many are taken off the market by landlords so they will not be rent controlled or purposely made empty so they can be converted into condos through the Ellis Act. As in Turkey, the struggle at Gezi Gardens is not just over green space or a few trees, but a class struggle over the power of wealthy and powerful people to control and exploit our lives.   

The struggle at Gezi Gardens is still far from over. See you on the streets Friday!

gezigardens5

 

The Horrific Extent of Police Brutality in Turkey

endthelie.com

8/6/13.

endthelie.com

8/6/13. What you will read below is extremely disturbing. It is the firsthand impressions of a Boğaziçi (Bosphorus) University student who was detained by police in connection with the Gezi Park incidents in Istanbul.

Erkan Yolalan first thanks everybody who has assisted him, especially to those who fetched him a lawyer.
Here is his story:

“I am at home, I’m fine. I want to write what I went through. My only aim is that everybody knows what is being experienced while in detention. I have no other aim; I want to say that at the beginning. I will write all of the events that happened to me from the beginning and with all swear words and insults included. With all its openness…

“Last night (June 3, 2013) around 9 p.m. I was detained in Beşiktaş, at traffic lights on Barbaros Avenue. I was not involved in any action like swearing or throwing stones. They took me in bending my arm the moment they saw me. Some friends of mine saw on TV how I was taken into custody. Then hell began.

“After crossing the lights in the direction of the seaside, while I was at the edge of the platform where the IETT bus stops are at the seaside, any policeman who was there and any riot police squad member (çevik kuvvet) who saw me started kicking and punching me. For about 100-150 meters, in other words, all the way to the Kadıköy ferry station, whoever was present there was kicking and punching. Insults and curses such as ‘Are you the ones to save this country, mother f***, sons of ****,’ never ended. I could not count how many people hit me before I reached the detention bus.

“Just as I was taken near the buses, a few policemen called from behind a bus, ‘Bring him here.’ They took me behind the bus and started kicking and punching me there. I learned later that because of the cameras they took me behind the bus to beat me.

“When I was inside the detention bus (İETT) the lights were out, and I heard a girl’s voice begging inside the bus: ‘I did not do anything, sir.’ I could not even see who was hitting me as I was taken inside the bus and after I was in the bus. The only thing I was able to do in the dark was to cover my head. Curses and insults continued. I sat. Everyone who was passing near me was hitting me. I got up and went to a corner. They wanted me to take a seat again. I told them everyone who passed by was hitting me when I was seated.

They again swore, slapped and punched me and made me sit. 

“They were hitting the girl and throttling her. A civilian policeman whose name is İsmail said exactly this to the girl, ‘I will bend you over and f*** you right now.’ [He – Erkan Yolalan- later added that this policeman İsmail also said, “Now that it is dark and the lights are off I will ****”] 

“And the response of the girl was heartbreaking. With a low voice, she could only say ‘Yes, sir.’
“And next, we, the three people present at the bus, were forced to shout: ‘I love the Turkish police. I love my country.’ They made us yell this again and again ordered us to make it ‘louder, louder.’ The insults and beating did not come to an end.

“The atmosphere seemed a bit calmer, but this time they brought another young person. The guy’s nose was broken. When I asked him why he didn’t protect his face, he told me ‘Two people held me by force and a third person punched my nose three times.’ From time to time there were others brought in. 

“A young person named Mustafa from Bahçeşehir University was brought then. Twenty policemen from the riot squad had attacked him, and he looked too weak even to stand up. Slapping and punching him near the detention bus was not enough for them, they hit his head with a helmet. That was not enough either, they hit his head on the bus window. They took him inside the bus while continuously hitting him. His hands were cuffed from behind; his head was bleeding; they made him sit on the floor. 

“We saw his head bleeding. I went near him and held a cloth (the bloody t-shirt of the guy whose nose was broken) to his wound to stop the bleeding. This police named Süleyman cursed at me and told me to ‘f*** off’ to my seat. I told him, ‘He is bleeding.’ He said, ‘He can bleed.’ He did not care at all. They were holding the guy in handcuffs with all his injuries. We pointed that out to a couple of policemen. Finally, one of them opened the cuffs.

“Actually the second heartbreaking incident happened when we were at the police station for statements. Mustafa asked me this: ‘Did they hit me at the bus? What happened?’ The guy could not remember. He was not fully conscious while he was on the bus.

“As a last point, we could not go to the toilet while we were at the bus. They only gave us a bottle of water. Then we were taken to the hospital for doctor’s reports and then to the police station.  

“Once we were at the police station, an army of lawyers was waiting for us. And the policemen now were talking to us on polite terms.

“I want to thank all the lawyers, all our friends who called the lawyers and everybody who was worried about us. There is not a bit of an exaggeration in this piece. Everything that has been experienced is true and my only aim is for everybody to hear it firsthand.

Revolt against brutality is continuing. This fascist order will be destroyed.”

I Am Writing To You On the Motor Hood of a Knocked-over Police Car, Taksim Square 4th June

A barricade in Taksim Square, Istanbul, Turkey

A barricade in Taksim Square, Istanbul, Turkey

A barricade in Taksim Square, Istanbul, Turkey

A barricade in Taksim Square, Istanbul, Turkey

Raising Our Voices in Taksim Square

What began in Turkey seven days ago as the takeover of Gezi Park turned into a national uprising from Istanbul to other major cities. A small protest to protect public space – which the government had ordered to be razed to make room for a shopping mall – united a wide range of citizens protesting what they see as the Prime Minister’s pro-business, authoritarian, and religious policies. Tomorrow, June 4, the public sector union coalition, KESK, will strike in solidarity with the protests.

This is a first-hand account from Taksim Square in Istanbul, written by trade union leader Kıvanç Eliaçık, originally posted at Equal Times.

My trade union, the Revolutionary Worker Unions Confederation of Turkey (DISK), is part of a platform with professional associations and neighborhood organisations.

This platform protests the construction work in Taksim Square, Istanbul, that will demolish the park there, replacing it with a shopping centre.

When I heard that bulldozers came and cut the trees in the park on Tuesday, I ran to the park.

Instead of shutting down the illegal construction – the court revoked the construction project – the police used tear gas against people who want to save the trees.

On that first night, we took tents and sleeping bags and went to the park. We sang and chatted till dawn. In the evening, thousands of people were gathered. A concert took place on a stage.

We were discussing urban regeneration, environmental destruction, human rights and workers’ rights. The highlight of all these discussions was that they are all the result of government policies. An ever-changing and growing committee was established.

When I woke up in the morning the camp was drowned into tear gas and everyone was running around. The police set the tents on fire. They uprooted the saplings that were planted a day before. The bulldozers were working under the protection of riot police.

We did not want to get revenge. Someone was reading a novel to the police using a megaphone that was saved from the fire. Another person was asking “why did you set my guitar on fire?” but by singing.

When we succeeded in entering the park we set up bigger tents. In the evening there were tens of thousands people in the Square. Renowned musicians cancelled their concerts and came to the park.

People from various views came together: people and workers on strike from regions that have been harmed by corporate and government greed; football fans; radical left parties; student organisations; feminists; anarchists; and vegans.

The following night we were better prepared. The garbage was periodically cleared. Volunteer security staff were on patrol. Women were able to walk comfortably in the camp area.

The government’s new alcohol regulations [Turkey’s president is this week expected to approve strict legislation that will prohibit the sale of alcohol in shops between 22.00 and 06.00, ban all alcohol advertising and promotion, and stop new shops and bars from opening within 100m of schools and mosques] converted drinking to a political action. People were chanting slogans, on the other hand they were singing songs, and drinking.

Towards the morning hundreds of goggles, gas masks, lemon, vinegar, home-made anti-tear gas solutions prepared by stomach pills were distributed.

There were thousands of people in the park when the police attacked at 05.00 in the morning. There were no warnings and suddenly we were unable to see anything. We evacuated the park in-line with the plan we made earlier.

Clashes in the street continued till morning. I managed to sneak in the park quietly, taking advantage of the tired police. I watched the Bosphorus sipping my tea in the shadow of a tree. I hope it won’t be the last time I see this view.

The protestors tried to enter the park by gathering in back streets again and again. The police prevented them by using excessive use of force. The whole city turned into a rally arena. Some demonstrators walked the Bosphorus Bridge that connects Asia and Europe.

So, who are these people that gathered in the square? It won’t be true to say that these people have common views and common aims. The only common thing was they were angry to the government… The police violence against the youth who wanted to protect the trees triggered people and all the people who are against the government were out on the streets.

Thousands of women and men who have not participated in a political demonstration before clashed with the police till late at night. The entered a new demonstration without event having breakfast.

With their home-made gas masks they revolted against the police sometimes by singing, sometimes by swearing.

There were demonstrators from wealthy families, but also unemployed people. There were people from Muslim associations and socialist parties – everyone standing shoulder to shoulder.

People, who sought refuge in the barricades, were tweeting and uploading photos to Instagram. Pupils were drawing nasty graffiti addressing the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

I met a couple who were making plans for their wedding in the telephone booth where I sheltered as rubber bullets rained down around me.

For the past five days, a growing number of demonstrators are having fun and demonstrating at the same time without sleeping or resting. The most common slogan chanted by the protestors is “Resign Government!”

Police violence is not driving us away. Fear has been defeated now. We have learned to raise our voice when we are angry.

Some people are fighting, others are dancing. Some are lashing out drunk; others are collecting garbage and treating stray animals.

I do not know what is going to happen tomorrow. But today is a new day and we are all new people.

What am I doing now? While tens of thousands of demonstrators across the country are asking the Prime Minister to resign for many different reasons, I am writing to you on the motor hood of a knocked-over police car.

Kıvanç Eliaçık is the Director of the International Relations Department of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DISK).

 

A Few Inspiring Moments from Turkey, Occupy Gezi. 2nd June

There is a lot of fear, there is a lot of anger, there is a lot of bloodshed.

There is a lot of fear, there is a lot of anger, there is a lot of bloodshed.
But there is also a lot of beauty.

OccupyGezi1

Istanbul Government Truck, one of many destroyed last night. Graffiti reads "You are not innocent anymore" #gezi pic.twitter.com/yFAKG78SYL

Istanbul Government Truck. Graffiti reads “You are not innocent anymore” pic.twitter.com/yFAKG78SYL

 

occupygezi2

Clean up in Gezi Park

peoplesbulldozeroccupygezi4

Monsanto Set to Halt GMO Push in Europe 2nd June

The march against Monsanto,

The march against Monsanto, Germany. (Image from twitter user@@HarvestPM)

Monsanto plans to halt lobbying for its genetically modified plant varieties in Europe due to low demand from local farmers, a representative from the US agricultural giant told a German daily.

“We are no longer working on lobbying for more cultivation in Europe,” Brandon Mitchner a representative for Monsanto’s European branch, Tageszeitung, said in an interview set to be published on Saturday.

“Currently we do not plan to apply for the approval of new genetically modified crops. The reason is, among other things, low demand of the farmers,” he continued.

A spokeswoman for Monsanto Germany, Ursula Luttmer-Ouazane, admitted that Monsanto recognizes that GMO crops were currently not embraced on the European market.

“We’ve understood that such plants don’t have any broad acceptance in European societies,” Luttmer-Ouazane said. “It is counterproductive to fight against windmills,” she added.

A spokesperson for the German Ministry of Economy and Technologies described the move as an “entrepreneurial decision” which needed no further comment. The ministry added, however, it has long made its opposition to gene modification technologies known.

“The promises of the GM industry have not come true for European agriculture, nor have they for the agriculture in developing and emerging economies,” the ministry said in a statement.

Eight national governments in the European Union have already banned Monsanto’s MON810 maize and other forms of GMO cultivation in their countries under an environmental protection provision known as the ‘Safeguard Clause’.

Particularly fierce protests in Germany prompted the government to introduce the measures in 2009 due to concerns that such cultivation could lead to ecological degradation.

Monsanto’s rivals, such as Bayer CropScience, BASF and Syngenta, had by and large pulled out of the German market because of large-scale public opposition, the German daily reported.

Austria, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg and most recently Poland are among other EU member states enforcing the ban. In April, Italy joined the ranks of EU states looking to ban the cultivation of GM crops on its soil.

The march against Monsanto, Germany. (Image from twitter user@Julia_etc)

The march against Monsanto, Germany. (Image from twitter user@Julia_etc)

The announcement comes amidst a series of recent public relations battles that have brought the US firm considerable worldwide attention.

On Wednesday, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said it had conducted genetic tests on wheat from an 80-acre farm in Oregon this past April. The tests revealed the wheat was an experimental variety created by Monsanto that had never been approved for sale.

The discovery prompted Japanese authorities to cancel part of a tender offer to buy US western white wheat and have suspended imports of both that variety and feed wheat, while several other large importers of US-wheat throughout Asia said they were closely monitoring the situation.

The European Union for its part said it will test any incoming shipments, with plans to block those containing GMO wheat.

The USDA announcement followed a massive, global “March Against Monsanto” held on Saturday that saw demonstrations against the Missouri-based firm in 52 countries.  Organizers for the global protest said around 2 million protesters showed up at rallies being held in 436 cities to protest against the seed giant and the genetically modified food.

 

The march against Monsanto, Munich. (Image from twitter user@nasimjo)

The march against Monsanto, Munich. (Image from twitter user@nasimjo)

 

Plea from Turkey 1st June

Turkey’s protests against the logging of trees in  Gezi Park have grown into a nation-wide upheaval. The heavy-handed police response, using tear gas and pepper spray against bystanders and protestors, alike, has ignited a profound response against state repression in Turkey.

Environmentalism in Turkey as well as Eastern Europe/West Asia has been on the rise in the last 5-10 years, and this massive demonstration rising from anti-logging protests presents a landmark in the history of this region.

Thousands of protestors have swelled in the streets of every major city in Turkey. More solidarity demonstrations are planned from Germany to the US. From Athens to London, San Francisco to Boston, protests are already drawing thousands of people, and more are planned for the future.

Gezi Park is one of the smallest parks in Istanbul, but the symbolic value of replacing it with an Ottoman-style barracks aggravates the anti-imperial drive of the Turkish people. The police brutality is shocking even to veterans of pro-democracy struggles.

Here is an urgent message from an anonymous source in Turkey right now: “I am writing you all to ask that you please share any and all information you can about the current situation in Istanbul. There is desperate need of int`l support from what I witnessed last night and from the news coming via social networking, etc. They are getting no domestic media attention, and the Prime Minister has offered no explanations for the unprecedented police violence. Gov`t supporters also went completely unchecked by police last night, beating (and as i understand it) killing at least one protester on their walk home.”