Protesting Monsanto with La Defensa del Maiz San José

Called Organismo modificado genéticamente or organismo transgénico in Spanish, GMO's were the topic of the day on Saturday as members of La Defensa del Maiz San José gathered in front of City Hall in San José, California to protest Monsanto's corporate control of our food.

They were joined by the Raging Grannies (Las Abuelitas Enojadas), members of the San Jose Peace and Justice Center, and many citizens concerned for food safety. Food Not Bombs provided lunch under the bright sun.

Sergio Nesaulakoyotl Martinez of La Defensa shook a sheath of black corn and called out "Adelante! Forward!" for victory over Monsanto's heinous rule. While some speakers called out for labeling, others said, "ban the GMO's and jail the corporate criminals!" Also speaking at the event were representatives of the Green Party and Move to Amend. Barry Chang of Cupertino, who is running for political office, summed up the sentiment of the protesters saying, "corporations lie".

The event was one of 400 around the world on a national day of action against Monsanto.