Biosafety Protocol - Demonstrations in London
Tuesday 24th January 2000
Demonstrations in London centred around the embassies of the six Miami Group countries, letting them know that the world is watching the negotiations in Montreal. Letters to the High Commissioner and Ambassadors were delivered, expressing our need for a stringent Biosafety Protocol. A simple message, 'Gene Dictators? the world is watching...' was left on calling cards written in English and Spanish.
At midday, a banner was unfurled from the roof of Canada House, under the austere gaze of Nelson on his column and beneath the sunlit Canadian flag (pictures posted soon).Transgenic human-cows had stormed the building, successfully diverting security to the front entrance, sealed off with biohazard tape, where others raised a second banner of Uncle Sam astride the globe with his five Miami Group puppets.
A merry troupe of people and cows (the English equivalent to the Montreal Moose... perhaps) then moved to the nearby Australia House (see pictures below).And then on to the Chilean Embassy where they were greeted by a flurry of Chilean reporters keen to interview and photograph (see pictures below).
After hanging the calling cards on the railings of the Argentinian Embassy, and posting the large letter through the door (as requested! see pictures below), the group moved on to the US embassy. There they were greeted by the largest number of police and security that day. The tired activists were ushered to barriers the other side of the busy road. After lengthy discussions with security, it was made clear that no-one would accept the letter to the US Ambassador, so it was fashioned into a paper aeroplane for delivery (see pictures below). As the sun began to set on London, the first day of negotiations was in full swing in Montreal. The world was watching.