The protesters, who were playing the part of biotechnology
industry lobbyists “thanking” politicians for their support as
part of the fictitious “Biotechnology Industry Awards
Committee” or BIAC, dumped briefcases of real cash.
“The USCP arrested three demonstrators in the atrium of the
Hart Senate Office Building,” Lieutenant Kimberly Schneider
told the Washington Examiner newspaper.
Videos posted on YouTube showed one of the activists on the floor
of the atrium, showering herself with the paper bills while
another threw them into the air around her.
According to a release put out by the groups behind Thursday’s
protest, the Organic Consumers Association and Occupy Monsanto,
the real lobbyists were expected “to lunge for the fluttering
bills…creating a melee” to shut down the entrance to the
building.
The protest was aimed at what organizers allege are back room
deals going ahead during the government shutdown, specifically
the amendment to the House Farm Bill presented by Rep. Steve King
(R-Iowa). The activists were to dole out “Monsanto’s Minions
Awards” to members of Congress the groups say have been
particularly accommodating to biotech companies.
“The legislative pressure-cooker created by self-inflicted
deadlines and crises like the fiscal cliff, the shutdown and the
debt limit are the worst way to write legislation. Corporate
lobbyists are here to take advantage of the situation. That’s how
we got the Monsanto Protection Act in March. We’re here to try to
stop that kind of thing from happening again,” wrote Alexis
Baden-Mayer, political director of the Organic Consumers
Association, who took part in Thursday’s protest as “Jennetta
Kontamy-Nashun,” a member of the BIAC.
Activists allege that King’s amendment would circumvent oversight
through the normal conference committee process, as was the case
when Se. Roy Blunt (R-Mo) attached a rider to a continuing
resolution to fund government derided by opponents as the
“Monsanto Protection Act.” That piece of legislation was
aimed at pausing judiciary oversight over the planting of new
genetically engineered crops.
Rep. King’s amendment, the Protect Interstate Commerce Act, is a
provision aimed at preventing standards or conditions from being
imposed by one state onto another’s agricultural products.
Advocates believe that the amendment is written so broadly that
it could therefore nullify a number of state and local laws that
involve everything from GMO food labeling, which biotech
companies have spent millions to oppose, as well as pesticide and
antibiotic use and animal welfare rules.
Rep. King has insisted that the language of the amendment is
designed to invalidate California’s Proposition 2, which requires
large cases for egg-laying hens, allowing the animals to stand
and spread their wings.
The Farm Bill officially expired on October 1, the first day of
the ongoing government shutdown, and has yet to make its way out
of Congress in its final form.
Thursday’s protest according to the group was modeled after
another similar action that took place decades ago at the New
York Stock Exchange. On August 24th, 1967, about a dozen members
of the counter-culture Youth International Party, or Yippies,
threw handfuls of dollar bills onto the trading floor.
According to witnesses at the time, some of the traders at the
floor during the stunt took it in their stride and waved back,
though others jeered and shook their fists at the group.
Several months after the Yippie incident at the NYSE bulletproof
glass and metal grills were installed around the visitors’
gallery.
Copyright: RT