Activist "Barf In" Disrupts Trans-Pacific Trade Summit New "TPP Makes Me Sick" Web Video Documents and Explains the Action
Leesburg, Va. — A group calling itself the Biotic Barf Brigade released an online video today documenting a "barf in" that took place during the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations held at the Lansdowne Resort on Thursday. The activists say the TPP is a threat to public health, the environment and the economy, and that they released a video about their action to draw attention to the pact.
"That negotiators refuse to tell the public what they've been proposing in our names should make everyone a little queasy," said Chuck Grossman, one of the activists. "But the leaked U.S. proposals to block access to generic medications and to hand corporations new tools for attacking environmental protections are downright revolting."
The TPP summit held in Leesburg from September 6 to 15 was the 14th major round of negotiations on what is poised to become the largest Free Trade Agreement in U.S. history. While none of the draft text of the TPP has ever been officially released, some leaked documents have been published on the Citizens Trade Campaign website, and negotiations are said to be taking place on some 29 separate chapters covering everything from banking regulations and government procurement to food safety standards and medicine patents.
The 2-minute video, titled "The TPP Makes Me Sick," shows activists sneaking into the negotiations, vomiting on the resort grounds and being ejected by security. The video is available online at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70PLGz-cU0w
"I'm sure the 'barf in' will leave a bad taste in some people's mouths. It certainly did in mine," said Liz Hurley, another of the activists. "But a little vomit is nowhere near as distasteful as allowing this back-room deal for the 1% to continue forward in the shadows. I encourage people to watch and share the video, and to do whatever they can to help stop this disgusting corporate power grab."
The names Chuck Grossman and Liz Hurley are noms de guerre.
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-- Robert Naiman Policy Director Just Foreign Policy www.justforeignpolicy.org naiman at justforeignpolicy.org