PA News | September 26, 1999 | Tim Clarke
A herd of 200 pantomime cows were, according to this story, today grazing their way through Bournemouth town centre as part of a national campaign against genetically modified farm animal feed.
Coaches have been arranged from 25 towns and cities across southern England to get Daisy, Buttercup and friends to the event at the Bournemouth International Centre ahead of the start of the Labour Party conference.
Thousands of consumers, many in farmyard costume, will demonstrate their concern about the widespread use of GM material, in both home-grown and imported dairy and meat products.
The Bournemouth protest will take the form of a farmyard carnival procession with a herd of 200 pantomime cows, 100 costume chickens and representations of GM-fed Scottish salmon.
The event coincides with current moves by supermarkets, led by Marks & Spencer and Iceland, to start removing GM-reared products from selected stores.
Ray Foulk of the GMO campaign in Oxford was quoted as saying, "Human immunity to antibiotics is already occurring due to a build-up through their use in livestock as a growth agent. Fears are that GM animal feed will compound this existing problem, bringing forward the day when antibiotic medicines no longer work as 909treatments for human diseases."
Protesters say little is known about the behaviour of GM material in the human or animal gut and no one can vouch for the safety of the animal or the human consumer.
The event is the first in a series of protests taking place in Bournemouth to coincide with the Labour Party Conference.
Tomorrow will see 10,000 members of the National Farmers Union congregate at the seaside town to highlight the critical state of Britain's agricultural industry. On Tuesday 16,000 protesters will be gathered by the Countryside Alliance to demonstrate against the proposed government ban on fox hunting. Ray Foulk of the GMO campaign in Oxford was quoted as saying earlier that, "Human immunity to antibiotics is already occurring due to a build-up through their use in livestock as a growth agent. Fears are that GM animal feed will compound this existing problem, bringing forward the day when antibiotic medicines no longer work as treatments for human diseases."
Protesters say little is known about the behaviour of GM material in the human or animal gut and no one can vouch for the safety of the animal or the human consumer.
Veteran Labour leftwinger Tony Benn, MP for Chesterfield, addressed the crowd of some 500 and criticised the American GM food giant Monsanto, stating, "It's really about whether we are going to let Monsanto run the world or whether we expect to be defended by the Government that we elect. I don't believe that there is a third way between GM and non-GM foods. The Cabinet has to take a choice - whose side is it on?"
Green Party spokesman Mike Woodin was quoted as telling the anti-GM rally, "I look forward to the day when the supporters of Monsanto have to lobby the Labour Party conference because we don't let them import their products into this country. The tide is turning. We are winning this debate."
Campaign organiser Sebastian Kelly was cited as calling Mr Blair of being a "stupid idiot for trying to get into the multi-nationals' knickers and Bill Clinton's bed".
Mr Kelly then read a poem addressed to the Prime Minister:
For a GM free world do I hanker;
Come on Tony, you know it's a banker
If you won't heed the cry and keep feeding us lies
I'll have to conclude you're a ... waste of space."
