Die Aktionsgruppe "Round Up Monsanto" hat am Montag den 17. Mai in den frühen Morgenstunden erfolgreich die Eingänge der Firma blockiert. Mehrere Aktivisit_innen ketteten sich an den Eingängen an. "Stellt euch eine Landwirtschaft ohne Gift und Genveränderte Organismen vor - stellt euch eine Welt ohne Monsanto vor", stand auf mehreren Transparenten. Ausserdem wurden Symbole an den Fassaden gemalt, sowie riesiges genverändertes Gemüse auf dem Gelände deponiert. Monsanto hat sich gegen eine Räumung mit negativer Presse entschieden, und stattdessen ihre 350 Mitarbeiter_innen für den Tag nach Hause geschickt. Bericht indy nl | Video
Pressemitteilung der Aktivist_innen: Monsanto plant shut down by activists - (Bergeschenhoek)
Action group Round Up
Monsanto successfully shut down the main Monsanto plant in the
Netherlands, formally De Ruiter Seeds. Forty activists chained
themselves to the entrance gate at the wake of day and prevented
personnel from entering the office buildings and greenhouses.
Thierry
Boyer, head of Monsanto's European vegetable division, contacted his
superiors and decided not to press charges.As a result the police will
not interfere. " The company will be effectively close for the day", the
police chief in charge confirmed.
Clearly Monsanto is afraid of
more negative publicity connecting the company to a police eviction, and
prefers to close down the plant where 350 people are employed. Many
employees welcomed the action and said they were not happy with the
take over of De Ruiter Seeds by Monsanto in 2008.
This action is
part of the growing world wide resistance against Monsanto and other
multinational agro-businesses.
Banners on the gates and on the
Monsanto logo on the premises said:
"Monopoly on food and toxic
agriculture - the world according to Monsanto" and "Imagine a world
without poison and without GMO's - a world without Monsanto".
De
Ruiter Seeds is the 3d Dutch vegetable seed company that was bought up
by Monsanto in recent years. With these acquisitions the company aims to
monopolise the vegetable seed market.
Monsanto is part of the
'Round Table of Responsible Soy' (RTRS), a greenwash initiative to label
RoundupReady GM soy as 'responsible'. The label will be launched in
June this year.
