[Peace-discuss] Activist "Barf In" Disrupts Trans-Pacific Trade Summit

[Robert Naiman]

For Immediate Release
Contact: Chuck Grossman, BioticBarfBrigade at gmail.com

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