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GE - Seattle protests on the way



As you may be aware, the Campaign For Food Safety has called for Global Days 
of Action against Genetic Engineering April 15-30, 1999.

In Seattle, we have decided to use EarthDay, April 22nd as our protest day. 
We feel the media will be very responsive to covering a public protest that 
day since they will be looking for news items about environmental issues.
We are planning to assemble in front of the Federal Building in downtown 
Seattle with signs and literature to hand-out to the public. We plan to have 
a few people dressed up as vegetables and fruits for visual effect. We will 
also have drums and a megaphone. Naturally we will be carrying signs to get 
our message out. The literature hand-outs will encourage people to write 
their congressional representatives to pass legislation to label genetically 
engineered foods.
I challenge and encourage all of you reading this e-mail to plan similar 
public protests in your towns and cities. I suggest you also chose to use 
April 22, EarthDay as the day of your protest. You are likely to get the 
best media coverage that day.
By the first week in April, I will e-mail to this list samples of the 
hand-out literature we will have developed for use in Seattle. I will also 
include copies of the press release we will be sending out to the media to 
announce our protest. You should be able to modify these items to use in 
your area.
Last week I attended the Public Interest Environmental Law Conference in 
Eugene, Oregon. Over 3,000 people were in attendance. The panel discussion 
on genetically engineered foods was in a room that was nearly full. One of 
the panelist was an attorney from England named Vicky Phillips. When Vicky 
began her presentation she said that she had a question from her activist 
friends in England. She said they want to know "what the hell are you doing 
in the United States to fight genetic engineering?" She went on to share all 
the exciting successes they have had in the United Kingdom, including the 
front page articles from their newspapers.
So, activists in the United States, let's show the British that we also know 
a thing or two about protesting when our government is not listening to the 
will of the public. Do you want genetically engineered foods labeled? 
Really? Are you sure? Then let's not just talk about it. Let's see how many 
people we can get out to public protests on EarthDay!!!


Craig Winters 
6920 Roosevelt Way NE #250 
Seattle, WA 98115 
Tel: 425-775-7644 
Fax: 425-776-3262 
E-mail: <mailto:craig@craigwinters.com>mailto:craig@craigwinters.com 
Web Site: <http://www.craigwinters.com/>http://www.craigwinters.com