BOSTON--On April 21, 2008, Marathon Monday, activists around the city participated in direct action to publicly confront Mayor Menino about the proposed Biosafety Level 4 Lab in Roxbury, by hanging numerous banners along the marathon route, including one in Copley Square near the finish line, reading: "Menino: Residents Say No Biolab."

The biotech industry [Biotech Industry Organization, BIO] is bringing thousands of executives, lawyers, public relations people and corporate scientists to Boston in early May to promote their agenda of genetically engineered food, unaffordable high-tech medicines and dangerous 'biodefense' research that increases the threat of new biological weapons. Through parades, rallies, educational events and publications, music, a free health care clinic and free daily non-GMO meals, Biojustice 2007 will dramatize popular resistance to this agenda and highlight a wealth of community-based alternatives. Read More & Schedule>> | Audio Report by Homefries

See also: biodev.org | biojustice2007.org

Schedule:

Mar 6, 8pm, San Francisco, Station 40
Mar 8, 6:30pm, Berkeley, Long Haul
Mar 9, 6:30pm, Santa Rosa, Free Mind Media
Mar 9, Fresno Cafe Fresno
Mar 10, 6-8pm, Willits, Methodist Church
Mar 12, Sacramento, CA, Sac State, Mariposa 1000 Indybay
Mar 14, Ashland, OR? (help needed)
Mar 15, Eugene, OR
Mar 16, Salem, OR? (help needed)
Mar 16, Eureka, CA, Placebo
Mar 20, Portland, OR, Reed College
Mar 21, Portland, Lewis and Clark
Mar 22, Portland, Liberty Hall
Mar 23, Portland, PSU
Mar 26, Olympia, 4-6pm, Traditions Cafe, 5th Ave. SW, 7-9pm, 610 Columbia Oly Free School
Mar 27, 7-9pm, Seattle, Left Bank Collective
Mar 29, 7:00pm Boston, Boston College
Mar 30, 6:00pm Boston, Spontaneous Celebrations
Mar 31 New Haven, CT, Clash Collective
Apr 1 Penn State, PN
Apr 2 Philadelphia, A-Space, A-space
Apr 3 Baltimore, Red Emma's
Apr 4 DC, Brian Mackenzie Infoshop
Apr 5, 8pm, NYC, Times Up! Times-Up
Apr 5 Duke, NC
Apr 6 UNC, Chapel Hill
Apr 7 Asheville, NC
Apr 8 Greensboro, NC
Apr 9 Asheville, NC
Apr 11 Atlanta, GA
Apr 13 New Orleans, LA
Apr 14 Houston, TX
Apr 15 Austin, TX


ABOUT Dissent! G8 Infotour

Once a year the leaders of the 8 richest nations meet behind closed doors in secret with no publicized agenda or published minutes, to discuss the fate of the world. They’ve been making empty promises for decades about improving the environment, poverty in Africa, and lots more, but the fact is that the G8 is not the solution to these ills, it is the problem! We are preparing in Germany for large scale protests against the G8 meeting this June 6-8, 2007, and plan to come tell you about what is going on here. We have done over 200 presentations in 25+ countries since November 2005, and are now coming to your town!

In case you haven't had a chance to check out the big number of anti-G8 web-sites we have over here in Germany (or got lost on a German language site looking around for more English), we've attached an overview below of what our normal "foreign" presentation consists of. There are also many links below.

As you can see, there is generally a first part that talks about the History of the G8, including going over German protest experience in Munich '92 and Cologne '99 (20,000-30,000 or more protestors each time.)

The second part is all about the latest going on over here now. If you download any of our English language power points, you might see that some are a few months old. They will be totally updated for the USA infotour, and there will be a lot of English information available about the German mobilization. Discussions will take place with local hosts to determine likely audiences, and whether people already expect to come to Germany for the protests, or whether it is a more general audience that could benefit from other knowledge such as about the G8 in general, or about how such activist mobilizations function in Germany/Europe.

The latest plan for the Infotour on the West Coast of USA is March/April, with a stopover on the East Coast as well the first week in April 2007. Ask us to send you a draft itinerary. Judging from experience, we expect quite big audiences to attend our presentations.
v Hope to see you soon!
Jason + Marie
details below:

Presentation about G8, we can alter presentations/films for any audience.
from Dissent! Network Wiki: almost all infos downloadable here:
http://gipfelsoli.org/Tools

1. Block on Background of the G8 (circa 40 Minutes)

* Film "Why Close the G8?" (Mobilization film for G8 2005, Scotland; 14. min., Download with most other films and power points at http://gipfelsoli.org/Tools)
* Background on the History of the G8-Summit and protests against it, (lecture with Power-Point-Presentation, ca. 15 min.
* A summary of resistance to the G8, with the possible showing of short films.

We also like to tell about the effects of the G8 from those not from the "Global North". Therefore we often show short films from the "Raised Voices" project made up of short Videoclips with Interviews from people from Africa or South America regarding the politics of the G8. We generally show one or two 3 minute film clips.

2. Block: Heiligendamm, G8 2007 (circa 40 Minutes)

* The political and geographic situation of the immediate region of Rostock, Bad Doberan and Heiligendamm using a Power-Point-Presentation
* Explaination of the main relevant local groups, (Fundus-Gruppe, Kempinski, a Local Citizens initiative, the Left Party, Residents, City and Regional parlaments etc.)
* The situation of various groups mobilising against the G8, their activities and next meetings:

Grassroots + Left + radical groups + political parties…

* The International Mobilisation Camp in August 2006
* Left Network/Linkes Bündnis, BUKO
* No Deportations/No Borders-Network
* Attac
* NGO'S + Pop Concerts
* Militant Actions related to G8 2007
* Social Forum
* Green Party + Left Party (PDS/Linkspartei)
* 4 Bicycle Caravans, coming from N, S, E, and W
* Black Blocs
* Rhythms of Resistance/Samba Bands, Clown Army
* Queer, Women, Lesbian, Transgender-Resistance, etc.

At the close we like to start an open public discussion. Possible topics include:

* Pro and Contra regarding large Summit Mobilisations
* Would the resources for such a big mobilation not be better used for local projects?
* Working together with other groups
* Concrete action plans and ideas
* Possibilities to work together
* How to build/support local structures (in the local place we are)

More web-links:

Dissent! Network, Direct Action against G8: www.dissentnetwork.org
Reclaim the Commons, USA: http://rtc.revolt.org
For signing up to anti-G8 USA email list:
https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/g8-usa
For signing up to anti-G8 International email list:
https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/g8-int
Local (near G8) Action Conference web-site: www.heiligendamm2007.de
Peoples Global Action: www.agp.org
Hamburg Infopoint: https://hamburg.dissentnetzwerk.org
Interventionist Left: http://g8-2007.de
German NGO Platform: http://www.g8-germany.info
Basic info about G8: www.g7.utoronto.ca

On Saturday, January 20th, around thirty people gathered to plan a week of activities in protest of an upcoming meeting of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO). In May, BIO will convene in downtown Boston; organizers anticipate a large, energetic counter-convergence involving many factions of the movement against biotechnology.

Impacts of Biotechnology to be Examined at Conference before Grand Opening of New BIO5 Institute

Anuradha Mittal is the director of the Oakland Institute, a California-based research and education institution. She is an expert on trade, agriculture and development in India (her native country) and globally. Confluence had a chance to talk to her at the Reclaim the Commons events last April. See Related: GM Cotton Disaster in India

From Micah Lee: The following is a letter sent to my parents and carbon-copied to me by Joseph Mercurio, the Executive Vice President of Boston University, followed by my response. If you have any questions, please contact me. Feel free to publish my letter, and feel free to publish the letter that Mr. Mercurio sent to my parents.

Background: On Thursday, April 27, three individuals concerned with the threat posed to the Boston area by Boston University’s proposed Level 4 Biolab, funded by a $128 million grant from the National Institute of Health using Department of Homeland Security money, spoke out during the inaugural ceremony of BU’s tenth president, Robert Brown. Read Full Report

Operation: Over! high school speaking tour

Update: Community Residents Sue to Stop BU's Bio-Lab

Come join a movement about reclaiming – safe and healthy food! sustainable farms! access to healthcare! our genes! the right to save and plant seeds! community garden space! science in the public interest! the forests! intact ecosystems! the genetic integrity of all life! biodiversity! human rights for Global South farmers! a world free of genetically engineered bioweapons!

The Biotech Industry Organization (BIO) is coming to Chicago this April for their annual international convention and PR Extravaganza – BIO 2006. BIO is an organization of the world’s biggest agribusiness, pharmaceutical and bioweapons corporations.

Reclaim The Commons is responding with three days of events, from Saturday April 8th to Monday April 10th, to educate, inform and link together people and movements that are working to reclaim our public space and common heritage from transnational biotech corporate interests. Please join Reclaim The Commons in Chicago -- check out the schedule of events here!

see also: BioETHICS 2006, AlterCampagne, biodev and BioTech IMC

A crowd of people gathered outside the site of BU's proposed biolab late Tuesday afternoon and fell down "dead," faces streaked with fake blood. "We wanted to show the public what an outbreak might look," said Derek Garcia, a Boston-area resident. The street theater, which was staged by anti-biolab protestors, was intended to draw attention to the dangers of placing a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL4) facility in the middle of a densely-populated urban area. Participants included members of the direct action campaign Operation: Over, people from the Coalition to Stop the Bioterrorism Lab, and members of the Green-Rainbow Party.

Seven Boston University (BU) campus tours were interrupted today by members of Operation: Over to inform the prospective students about BU’s proposed BioSafety Level 4 (BSL-4) lab in Roxbury. These interruptions were intended to promote the boycott of BU that Operation: Over has called. The boycott is calling for high school students who are considering attending BU to reconsider, on the grounds that their tuition money will go towards funding the proposed BSL-4 lab, which will be built in a densely populated, low-income community of color against its wishes.

BioDemocracy 2005 - From June 19 to June 22, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) -- is holding its annual international convention in downtown Philadelphia. In response: Activists in Philadelphia and throughout the East Coast are hard at work mobilizing a diverse smorgasbord of activities to challenge the biotech industry with our own vision of peaceful, sustainable and GE-free grassroots democracy.

Radio
Photos: 1, 2
Video: 1
Audio: Dozens of workshops, screenings, and lectures took place during the BioDemocracy conve rgence. Independent journalists have recorded the very best of these important sources of information that highlight the current dangers Biotech poses and the mounting resistance. - Corruption of Science Panel - Biotech Corporations and Global Trade - GMO's in Latin America - Biotechnology in the Global South - Communities Resisting Genetic Engineering - Ignacio Chapela @ Reclaim the Commons - More audio from morning rally at biodev - Audio from morning biotech - Philly jdc - GENETICALLY ENGINEERED TREES / TALKS AT BIO-DESTRUCTION CONFERENCE - Audio from BioDemocracy teach-in in Philadelphia

[ Philadelphia IMC || Breaking News for 6/21/05 ]

Call to Action: Converge in Philadelphia, June 18th to 21st, 2005

CALLING ON ALL PEOPLE who resent the demise of democracy and hold to the promise of authentic popular empowerment! All who dare to paint poems of resistance on walls of oppression, dance in city streets in defiance of police states, and plant seeds of sedition in the shadows of Empire: come to Philadelphia! As the world's leading agents of eco-devastation and medical malpractice meet here in June, we cannot stand quiet. Join us to challenge the corporate crime, poisons for profit, and flagrant lies of the biotechnology industry, at the time of their annual international convention, with a creative uprising for truth, life and justice!

RECLAIM THE COMMONS! We recall a custom much older than two-party Republics, in which croplands, grazing land and forests were a public domain that benefited the whole community and belonged exclusively to no one. In today's global society, our commons encompass the biological strata that sustain life on earth --- air, water, food, medicine, energy, biodiversity -- plus the means of communication, education and transit that connect us culturally. Today, to a degree unprecedented in human history, corporations have seized this public wealth and privatized it to reap growing profits for a small and ever-shrinking elite. As public access to and control over the commons has eroded, so has true democracy. For democracy to thrive, for racial, economic, social and environmental justice to take deep root, and for sustainability to flourish ... we must reclaim our commons!

Check these websites in the coming months: [ www.reclaimthecommons.net I www.biodev.org I www.phillyimc.org I biotech.indymedia.org ]

"Were you at the 2004 Biotech Protest in San Francisco on June 8th? Were you there early in the morning, that is prior to 7:00am? Do you remember the streets, in particular, 4th coming south from Mission down to Howard, being blocked off by the police? And/or do you remember seeing 3rd being blocked going north to Howard? A number of protesters are still facing charges for 'willfully and substantially blocking the free passage' of others when they sat down or stood in the intersections of 4th and Howard and at 3rd and Howard." The legal team for the protesters who were arrested on the morning of June 8th, 2004 at the Reclaim the Commons "Shut Down San Francisco" protest are seeking witnesses for this case whose outcome, they think, will set a precedent on protest in SF.
Read More On Indybay's Globalization Page | Indybay coverage of the protests in the morning of June 8th.

Oregon's first publicly acknowledged contamination by a genetically engineered organism occurs in Madras area from Roundup Herbicide resistant Creeping Bentgrass destined to be used on 17,000 golf courses in the US. This is a product we do not need, it is an aggressively spread plant either through pollen or vegatatively through its rhizomes and easily crosses with many other grasses. This GE grass threatens to destroy the 3rd largest agricultural market in Oregon - our Willamette valley grass seed industry. The comment period was extended to December 2nd, this Thursday, possibly to allow the industry to catch up to the nearly 700 comments we've helped generate so far. If you are reading this, please send in your comments. read more >>

[ NW Resistance Against Genetic Engineering ]