Sunday, January 18, 2015

Berlin: 50000 march against TTIP

A broad alliance of farmers, ethical consumers, and anti-capitalist activists staged a march through Berlin that numbered up to 50,000, to denounce the proposed TTIP treaty between the US and EU, and mass farming technologies.

More than 120 organizations joined the fifth annual ‘We are Fed Up!’ demonstration, which this year focused on the increased importation of American farming practices – such as genetic modification, frequent antibiotic injections for animals, and chemical meat treatments – following the implementation of the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

Police said that 25,000 people joined the peaceful demonstration – with organizers claiming twice that number – though the most impressive spectacle included a procession of 80 tractors manned by angry farmers. The demonstration was timed to coincide with International Green Week, a large agriculture fair that has just begun in Berlin.

The much stalled TTIP, whose 24-chapter provisional text was made public last week after formal negotiations since July 2013, seeks to formalize the economic relationship between the EU and US economies across the board. The two partners trade nearly €1 billion (US$1.1 billion) worth of goods and services annually.

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