July 26, 1999 / PA News/Reuters/AP
Greenpeace executive director Lord Peter Melchett was, according to this story, today among 30 people arrested after environmental protesters attacked a field of genetically modified crops.
Norfolk police detained Lord Melchett at about 5.45am when a mower was used to cut down part of a six-acre field of maize at Lyng, near Norwich, Norfolk.
Farmer William Brigham, 59, of Walnut Tree Farm, near Lyng, was quoted as saying, "I was woken to find about 40 people on the site with a tractor with a cutter on the back trashing the trial. They have damaged about a third to a half of the crop, and I believe the trial may not be able to go ahead. They have cut and trampled it down. This has nothing to do with genetically modified organisms -- it's whether we want democratic government in this country or anarchy."
The story notes that the crop was planted in May by the agrochemical company AgrEvo and was due to flower next week.
Des D'Souza of AgrEvo was cited as telling BBC Radio 4's The World at One programme he did not believe the Greenpeace protest was peaceful, adding, "If trespassing, criminal damage is peaceful and causing anguish to Mr Brigham and his family -- his brother had to be taken to hospital, he collapsed in a field today as a result of the stress of all this -- if that is peaceful, please someone needs to rewrite the dictionary books for me."
Mr D'Souza argued that his company had been "open and transparent" in declaring where the field scale trial sites were, stating, "The result of it is it now allows these people to come in on their own agendas and cause this damage."
Mr D'Souza said the industry would now have to discuss with the Government whether GM crop trial sites should be kept secret.
He said the trials had to be conducted to generate data to address public concerns and questions about GM technology.
But he added: "AgrEvo doesn't believe we need these studies. We believe we have already generated more than enough data over the last 15 years to show that there is no risks to humans or the environment of this technology. We have supported the Government in having these trials done because of concerns that English Nature have and we have gone along and supported it."
Jack Cunningham, the Cabinet minister responsible for scientific research was quoted as saying, "How can we possibly have an informed and rational debate about protecting the environment when there are people destroying the very evidence we need to conduct this debate."
