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01-May-2002

Activists storm stage at Bayer AG meeting to protest against GM crops

by: CBG/Coalition against BAYER-dangers

Cologne, Germany: Seven genetically modified (GM) crops activists from the UK and Holland managed to sneak into the shareholder’s meeting of the health care and chemical company Bayer AG in Cologne, Germany on 26 April. Their mission was to let the directors, employees and shareholders of Bayer know that Bayer’s new venture into GM crops will not go unopposed.

Wearing suits and using a wheelchair as a Trojan Horse, the activists managed to evade heavy security (including x-ray machines and metal detectors) and enter the main meeting hall. D-locks and handcuffs had to be abandoned in the foyer when it became obvious how tight security was. At 10.30 am, after the introductory speeches by the shareholders, one person jumped onto the stage and began addressing the audience over the PA system. Simultaneously, two activists climbed the side of the stage, managing to reach a height of about 30 feet and staying aloft for 3-4 minutes shouting anti-GM slogans before being removed by security. Other activists “miraculously” leapt out of a wheelchair and stormed the stage, attempting to hang a banner reading “Bayer raus aus dem Gen-tech Anbau” (“Bayer get out of GM crops”) before being foiled by plain clothes security hidden in the audience. Other activists occupied the speaking podium, grabbing the microphone and ranting at the board in German, blowing whistles and generally causing chaos.

Contact CBG/Coalition against BAYER-dangers Postfach 15 04 18, 40081 Duesseldorf, Germany (tel: +49 211 333 911, fax: +49 211 333 940, email: CBGnetwork@aol.com , website: http://www.CBGnetwork.org

Source: CBG/Coalition against BAYER-dangers