05/23/2015 - March Against Monsanto

 
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Thomas Cooper, Occupy Sonoma County: email or voice mail: 707-877-6650

INTERNATIONAL - On Saturday, May 23rd, a broad coalition of individuals and groups will gather in cities and towns all over the world, as part of a global March Against Monsanto. The intention of this march is to raise public awareness and bring increasing political pressure to bear regarding Monsanto's corporate farming and business practices and to fight for labeling of foods that contain genetically engineered and/or modified materials.

It has been estimated that 439 cities in 38 countries spanning 6 continents and will be participating in the Global March Against Monsanto for a peaceful, non-violent, informational protest. A complete list of all events can be found here.

In Santa Rosa there will be a permitted march beginning at 2:00 PM gathering at Old Courthouse Square at 3rd and Mendocino Avenue and returning for a rally with speakers and musicians until 5:00 PM. This event against Monsanto's toxic practices is endorsed locally by 100 Thousand Poets For Change, Advocates For Social Justice of UUCSR, Bauman College, Community Market, Green Party of Sonoma County, Harmony Connections/Debra Recommends, North Bay Labor Council, North Bay Jobs with Justice, Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County, Petaluma Seed Bank, Project Censored/Media Freedom Foundation, Racial Justice Allies of Sonoma County, Russian Riverkeeper, WACCOBB.net & Women's Spaces Radio with more endorsements coming in. This event is organized by Occupy Sonoma County and GMO Free Sonoma County. There will be a pay-what-you-can plant sale, a free seed exchange (bring your extra seeds to share), and non-GMO food. For more information go to http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or http://www.gmofreesonomacounty.com/ or call 707-877-6650.

Monsanto's genetically engineered foods and products pose scientifically established health risks as well as foods and products produced by other biotech companies such as Dow and Syngenta. These include, but are not limited to: organ damage, sterility and infant mortality, birth defects, immune reactions, allergies and increased cancer risks. http://healthyfoodnaturally.com/2012/02/07/gmo-health-risks/

"Monsanto is bankrupting farmers, causing soil infertility, mono-cropping, loss of biodiversity, and bee hive collapse. Furthermore, their practices pose a very real threat to organic farming and loss of native plants. It is causing dependency on a centralized food system. In aggregate, this is a recipe for global famine," warns long-time activist and member of the Gateway Greens, Daniel Romano.

An "Open Letter from World Scientists to All Governments Concerning Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)" signed by 828 scientists from 84 countries, detailed concern regarding GMOs coupled with a call for an immediate 5 year suspension of GMO crops in order to conduct "a comprehensive public enquiry of agriculture and food security for all." www.i-sis.org.uk/list.php

GMOs have been removed and banned by Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, Madeira, New Zealand, Peru, South America, Russia, France, and Switzerland.

"Monsanto does not want consumers to know what they are eating and is continuing to aggressively fight labeling of GMOs in food. This effort is now reaching even further than blocking attempts by states like California, Oregon and Hawaii from passing labeling laws. Currently a Monsanto former lobbyist is one of the corporate representatives drafting the newest and largest international trade agreement, the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership). Non-Labeling of GMO foods is being written into the TPP." -- Barbara Chicherio, Gateway Green Alliance.

The "Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act," dubbed by activists as the DARK Act (Deny Americans the Right to Know), was introduced by a powerful pro-GMO food lobby. http://www.mamavation.com/2015/02/top-5-things-big-food-wants-hide-dark-act.html

"Monsanto's history includes the creation of nuclear weapons, DDT, Agent Orange, RBGH, PCBs, Aspartame, Saccharine, and numerous toxic waste sites around the world. Genetic modification of foods to contain pesticides and be resistant to massive spraying of Monsanto's own Roundup herbicide is the natural progression of this company's toxic practices that must be stopped to ensure the safety of our food, our health, and the preservation of the biodiversity of our environment." -- Stephana Morales, Occupy activist and concerned mother.

For more information go to http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or http://www.gmofreesonomacounty.com/ or call 707-877-6650.

Media Contact and to arrange an interview:
Thomas Cooper, Occupy Sonoma County: email or voice mail: 707-877-6650

See Additional Links Included Below

Links:

The World According to Monsanto (FULL LENGTH)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qrTXZaXkk

Monsanto Found Guilty of Chemical Poisoning in Landmark Case
http://bit.ly/181czkc

Monsanto A Half Century Of Health Scandals
http://networkedblogs.com/LtXJZ

Pesticides Make a Comeback
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323463704578496923254944066.html

Proposed and Passed Legislation, Judicial Decisions

Feds delay approval of new Monsanto crops over environmental concerns RT USA
http://rt.com/usa/monsanto-crops-usda-delay-323/

Monsanto wins landmark patent case in Supreme Court
http://rt.com/usa/patented-monsanto-court-patent-210/

Monsanto Protection Act: Chemical monopoly writes its own law
http://www.workers.org/2013/04/07/monsanto-protection-act-chemical-monopoly-writesits-own-law/

Genetically modified democracy: Monsanto moves to obliterate states rights to label GMOs
http://www.naturalnews.com/040413_Monsanto_states_rights_GMO_labeling.html

Editorial: Blunts Monsanto Protection Act undermines legislative process
http://bit.ly/YjzhzS

Senator Vows to Repeal Monsanto Protection Act
http://investorplace.com/investorpolitics/senator-vows-to-repeal-monsanto-protectionact/

Petition to Repeal Monsanto Protection Act
http://bit.ly/16VfWcG

Senators Propose Federal Legislation to Label GMO Food
http://truth-out.org/news/item/16124-senators-propose-federal-legislation-to-label-gmofood

Bad Seed Law
http://open-seeds.org/bad-seed-law/

A Win for the Bees: EU Votes to Ban Bee-Harming Pesticides
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/04/29-3

Practices

Why Does Monsanto Need an Army of Mercenary Soldiers?
http://bit.ly/18ihqek

Monsanto Declares a Sneaky Social Media War Against Protesters
http://bit.ly/119miSw

Former Monsanto employee put in charge of GMO papers at journal
http://bit.ly/10lLlkc

Indigenous Farmers

Will Monsanto destroy Mexicos corn?
http://m.aljazeera.com/story/20121213111851423855

Monsantos GMO Seeds Contributing to Farmer Suicides Every 30 Minutes
http://naturalsociety.com/monsantos-gmo-seeds-farmer-suicides-every-30-minutes/

India Farmer Suicides Linked To Crop Failure, Climate Change (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/11/india-farmers-commiting-s_n_807621.html

Media Contact: Thomas Cooper, Occupy Sonoma County

For more information go to:
http://OccupySonomaCounty.org or call 707-877-6650
http://www.facebook.com/OccupySonomaCounty
https://twitter.com/OcSoCo

http://www.gmofreesonomacounty.com/
http://www.facebook.com/GMOFreeSonomaCounty1

  Submitted by Emerald
  05/18/15 (updated 5/22/15)

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