Feature Archives

Farmers, scientists, and experts on genetically modified food and other biotech issues were dropping some science at the Teach-In organized in conjunction with the Reclaim the Commons protest. People gathered to hear about the consequences of allowing genetically modified food into our food systems, the effect of the biotechnology industry and corporate globalization on small farmers and the availability of food worldwide, and how the biotech industry leads to more hunger, more economic inequality. In addition, people discussed what we can do to stop the growing corporate control over our basic needs such as food and water. Photos Here

Learn about these issues: Video about Nanotechnology, and exposing myths of biotech | Audio of Jaime Castillo of Via Campesino speaking about fair trade and necessary agricultural reforms in Mexico | Audio of Vandana Shiva speaking about real alternatives to biotechnology | Audio with Clara of Biotech IMC | Audio of Brian Tokar at the press conference | ETC Group | Genetic Engineering Action Network | Directors of "The Corporation" discuss biotech corporations | i Corp Interactive Website | Biotech Indymedia

Amidst convention-goers and lines of riot police, hundreds of protesters disrupted the Biotechnology Industry Organization's annual convention this morning in San Francisco. Among the large variety of messages demonstrators brought to the conference, many demanded an end to corporate control of genetic code as "intellectual property". Protesters also held up wealth distribution, poverty and lack of access to basic medical care and nutrition as problems not being solved by Big Biotech's expensive products and R&D. Others railed against the loss of biodiversity, genetic contamination, unsafe food, and cancer-causing chemicals produced by the biotech industry, and the lack of labeling, safeguards or accountability in many sectors of the industry.

Protesters locked down in the street, formed a gauntlet outside the convention center, debated convention attendees, and in one case even darted under a bus of attendees, where the heavier-set officers were unable to extricate them. Attendees were escorted into the halls by riot cops who pushed and shoved activists out of their way. As police gave protesters free rein in the streets, demonstrators danced and chalked their messages for biotech junior executives peering down from the windowed convention hall. 32 arrests have been reported so far. Morning 6/8: Breaking News as it happened | Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Report Previous actions: Really Free Market | Racial Justice Rally (video) | Food Fight

Meanwhile in Georgia, anti-G8 marches took to the streets in Brunswick and Savannah. Atlanta Indymedia

6/5/2004: Several hundred protesters marched up Embarcadero starting at Justin Herman Plaza a little after 2PM. After five or six blocks the police forced everyone onto the sidewalk and arrested a few people after they stepped into the street. The protest went all the way up to Pier 39, but the police blocked the entrances and told protesters they would be arrested if they entered. The tourists at Pier 39 were not allowed to leave by the police until the protest had left the area. The march then looped on back streets to the Embarcadero and went up the sidewalk to Justin Herman Plaza. After the protesters rejoined the larger anti-war protest the police rushed in and tried to arrest someone. Protesters yelled at the police and the police line formed near the ANSWER stage. After perhaps ten minutes the police charged the crowd throwing three young men on the ground (the police stomped on one young man's head leaving a bloody mark above his right eye) After that the crowd slowly dispersed.
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5   Breaking Coverage From Saturday

From June 8-10, 2004 the leaders of the world's largest and richest industrialized nations (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States), who are known collectively as the Group of 8 or G8, met at Sea Island, Georgia in the US. At the meeting, Bush and company were to discuss the war on Iraq, terrorism, the global economy, and the policy in the Middle East. They enjoyed such luxuries as golf courses, fine food and exotic hotels. Although protest organizers began planning their events months in advance, they had to change many of their arrangements because of the repression that came from the government.

Repression: May, 2004: Organizers in Georgia have faced an unprecedented level of repression. Some events that were scheduled for Savannah have been moved to other cities because of intimidation tactics used by the police. Not only is the summit scheduled to be held on a privately-owned island, but protest permits have been denied in several cities, and the Governor of Georgia has declared a state of emergency from May 24th through June 20th in 5 counties. This means that the Governor is allowed greatly expanded powers, such as the right to "seize any property, public or private, close down events whether public or private regardless of permit status, detain citizens without charging them with crimes, impose curfews, override local ordinances and law enforcement, and to use military personnel for civilian law enforcement." Read more from the Save Our Civil Liberties Campaign

Federal Government and G8 Event Security: On May 10-11, 2004, Attorney General John Ashcroft and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge met in Washington, DC with the Ministers for Justice and Home Affairs from the G8 countries, and with the European Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs to discuss such topics as prevention of terrorism and serious criminal acts; border and transportation security; and combating cybercrime and enhancing cyber-investigations. Just two weeks later, on May 26th, Ashcroft announced that there was an increased threat of a terrorist attack sometime between that date and the election, with an extra chance of an attack on the G8 summit, or on either the Democrat or Republican National Conventions. However, "I don't see these new threats being reported changing anything we have in place," said Barry Bennett, spokesman for the federal Summit Planning Organization. "The security is already a 10, it doesn't go to 11. We're maxed." Plans were already set to have 20,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers help guard President Bush and the leaders of U.S. allies, and keep protesters and their messages away from the G8.

West Coast G8: People in the Bay Area are organizing several events during the days of the G8 summit. On June 8th at 5PM in UN Plaza West Coast G8 and Reclaim the Streets will throw a Mutant Street Party to "To UNwelcome the Biotech Conference to San Francisco (June 3-9), toast the death of the G8, and dance for Mutant Freedom Now!" Read more about the planned protests on the Globalization page. Other G8 Websites: G8 Resistance | Criticism of Counter-Summits | Fix Shit Up call from the Southeast Anarchist Network | How You Can Help the Georgia protesters

6/6/04: The biotechnology industry describes itself as "selling food, health, hope," while its detractors accuse it of harming and threatening farmers around the world and destroying biodiversity. Starting today, some 17,000 people from biotech companies from about 60 countries are meeting behind closed doors in San Francisco to make contacts, sell their ideas, raise venture capital, and convince journalists and the public that the biotech industry is "just great." To spin pro-industry PR, corporate journalists were provided with story ideas a week before the conference started, while independent journalists were denied press credentials due to "opposing biotech" or writing from an "activist point of view." For corporate journalists, BIO 2004 started early today with a media brunch full of GM food and corporate lies going so far as to promote GM crops as a "weapon against obesity".

August 6th at 7:00pm in Oakland:G8 Video Screening and Reportback