Activists plan to shut down BIO 2004, the Biotechnology Industry Organization's international conference and promotional show taking place in San Francisco June 6 - 9, with a massive demonstration on June 8.

The action, in concert with demonstrations at the G-7 conference in Savannah, Georgia taking place at the same time, will cap a week of activities, street theater and teach-ins that aim to shed light on the social costs of agricultural biotechnology and present ecologically sound alternatives.

According to the website of Reclaim the Commons, the umbrella group organizing the demonstrations, the biotechnology industry exemplifies how global corporations erode democracy, threaten human health and the environment while they concentrate the control of food and natural resources.

The activities begin with a series of teach-ins beginning Thursday evening, May 3. Speakers will include Vandana Shiva, Starhawk, Anuradha Mittal, Dr. Ignacio Chapella, Andrew Kimbrell and Brian Tokar. The demonstration will be on Tuesday, June 8 at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco

Sources:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/05/20/BAGSC6OIDM1.DTL
http://www.reclaimthecommons.net/
http://www.foodfirst.org/bioaction/


Informant: Food First