]BRASIL]
]BRASIL]
T e m a s & E v e n t o s
Under sunny skies the 2nd day of mobilizations in Rostock, a colorful march peppered with strange genetically modified beasts and plants in puppet form, yellow anti-GMO balloons, rocked to a live stage towed by an immense tractor, as well as a delicious samba drum corps, conducted a tour of exploitative agribusiness and genetic businesses in Rostock.
The international participation in the anti-G8 demonstrations is undeniable. The second day of actions against the G8-summit, taking place under the banner "Resistance is Fruitful", denounced its agricultural policies. Farmers, peasants, small producers, landless people and agricultural workers from countries around the world, including Canada, Nicaragua, Brazil and Nepal, participated strongly represented by, among other groups, Via Campesina.
The colorful, peaceful protest of roughly five hundred demonstrators gathered under cloudy skies near the Departments of Agriculture and Environment at the University of Rostock and marched towards downtown. The faculty of these departments took part in the march, riding into town in a covered wagon towed by a trailer. Enormous puppets in the shapes of carrots and other vegetables marched alongside farmers.
Criticizing the G8’s hollow rhetoric of fighting hunger and poverty, the march underscored how the wealthiest industrial nations systemically pursue neoliberal policies, such as privatization of land and water, that are to the detriment of land, workers and farmers.
The demo included groups that occupy land, oppose genetically modified foods and gather seeds to preserve traditional seeds. Protestors stopped along the way at LIDL, the German discount store, calling attention to how cheap prices are delivered by ripping off farmers, who are paid less than the costs of production for their milk, and by ripping off workers by underpaying them. Additional stops at McDonalds and Burger King thematized factory farming of animals. After the march, bike rides were planned to Gross Luesewitz to protest the Agricultural-Genetic-Technology there.
