March against Monsanto: Global protests

The organizers of the event say they want to raise people’s awareness about the fact that Monsanto’s products are harmful both to the environment and human health, while its policies are aimed at forging a monopoly over the world’s food supply.
“Take to the streets to show the world and Monsanto that we won’t take these injustices quietly. We will not stand for cronyism. We will not stand for poison. That’s why we March Against Monsanto,” a statement published on the official website of the event says.

Massive rallies against Monsanto have already started in France and Germany, with thousands of people taking to the streets to show their discontent with the GMO giant’s policies.

Hundreds of people are marching through the streets of Frankfurt, Germany. Some are holding banners calling for Monsanto to be tried in the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

In Loirent, France, 2,000 people have reportedly joined the rally against Monsanto with hundreds also marching in Rennes.

In France, large police forces have been deployed to the streets to maintain order during the marches.

Monsanto has responded to RT with an official statement in regard to the march, in which the company says it is “committed to having an open dialogue about food and agriculture.”

The giant’s goal “is to help farmers [produce food] in a more sustainable way using fewer resources and having a smaller impact on the environment,” the statement adds, stressing that “people have different points of view on these topics, and it’s important that they’re able to express and share them.”

An RT France crew is following the rally against Monsanto in Paris live via Periscope.

This is the fourth annual march against Monsanto. The first such event took place in 2013 and garnered more than 2 million protesters from 52 nations. Similar numbers were reported for last year's demonstrations.

In the French city of Nantes, about 1,000 people gathered in the city center, demanding a ban on pesticides and GMOs, local media report. In Dijon, hundreds marched through the historical part of the city, holding banners that read, “No to the toxic world of Monsanto” and “Nature and progress.”