Bove told reporters the free trade area would allow the
world's multinationals to take control of seed distribution
and food production throughout the hemisphere.

April 19, 2001

QUEBEC CITY (Reuters) - Rebel French farmers' leader Jose
Bove Thursday urged Canadians to destroy
genetically-modified "seeds of death" and attack
laboratories where the controversial crops were being
developed.

Bove, best known for attacking a McDonald's restaurant in
France in 1999 to protest against the United States, said
Canadians should attack facilities owned by two major GM
crop producers -- the U.S. biotech group Monsanto and
Swiss-based Novartis AG.

The walrus-moustachioed Bove told a cheering crowd of 300
demonstrators -- in Quebec City to demonstrate at the Summit
of Americas -- that it was especially important to act in
Canada, which is one of the world's largest producers of GM
crops.

"That means people here must also join the resistance
movement and not just make speeches," thundered Bove, who
has been tried twice in France for various acts of sabotage.

Supporters say the crops will help develop hardier crop
types to help feed the world's poor. Opponents say they
could lead to the uncontrolled spread of modified genes and
thereby harm insects and humans.

"This means that GM crops must be destroyed, this means the
the laboratories which continue to make these seeds of death
must be attacked, this means the Monsanto and Novartis
facilities must be attacked, they must not be given five
minutes of peace," he said to loud applause.

Despite a massive police deployment, militant demonstrators
have threatened violence at the Friday-to-Sunday summit
where the Western Hemisphere's leaders will discuss creating
the world's largest free trade zone. They claim a trade deal
will serve big business but ignore the hemisphere's poor.

Bove told reporters the free trade area would allow the
world's multinationals to take control of seed distribution
and food production throughout the hemisphere.

"We have to fight against this because if it goes (ahead),
it means farmers won't be able to decide any more what they
are going to grow," he said.

"This is a fight which must be fought every day and in doing
so you should not be afraid to break the law...all forms of
combat are possible," said Bove.

In January, Bove joined poor Brazilian farmers in uprooting
rows of genetically modified soybeans at an experimental
farm owned by Monsanto.

Last month, a court handed Bove a 10-month suspended jail
sentence for destroying genetically-modified rice plants
during an assault on a research center in the southern
France.

Bove shot to fame in 1999 when he led an attack on a
McDonald's burger bar in southern France to protest against
junk food and U.S. tariffs on French cheese and foie gras,
winning a three-month jail term.