Anti-GM demonstrators invade German maize field
Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), July 22 2007http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/85487.html
Altreetz, Germany - German police arrested dozens of militant protesters who invaded a field of genetically modified maize Sunday in defiance of a court order.
Anja Becker, a spokeswoman for the protesters, said they wrecked about 15,000 square metres of crop in the demonstration which had been planned and announced weeks ago.
A police helicopter and 570 officers were waiting for the group near Altreetz, close to Germany's Polish border. A no-trespassing order had been issued by a court in the nearby city of Frankfurt-an- der-Oder.
Both police and protesters said nobody was hurt in the melee as the demonstrators kicked over and tore up plants.
The anti-GM group objects to the planting of a maize variety which has been genetically modified by Monsanto, the US seed company, to contain a toxin against European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis).
GM opponents claim the transgenic maize could kill other insects as well and damage the environment. Maize is grown in Germany as an oil plant or as animal feed.