Zeneca AGM

Biotech company, Zeneca, held its Annual General Meeting on 21st of last month, and became the target for a day of action.

The day started with a visit to AstraZeneca's (called that since a merger last year) head office in London. After a scuffle to get into the building, some of the ground floor was occupied and decorated with squashed tomatoes.

Eventually, after discovering that the head of Public Relations was in the middle of a book on risk assessment (that's us!), campaigners were escorted out by police. Bolt-croppers were needed to remove contamination suited tomato-masked people who were chained to the front entrance.

Later, at the AGM, share holding protesters were kept out unless they could produce I.D. This may not be legal but is something to be aware of for the future. One protester who had been refused admittance managed to disconnect the computer terminals. Another was arrested after d-locking himself in the foyer.

Meanwhile, inside the AGM, questions were asked about just what AstraZeneca are up to, particularly focussing on the impact biotechnology is having on 3rd world countries.

One woman in the audience successfully made it on to the stage to pull apart the chairman's microphone, denouncing biotech, AstraZeneca, and all planet profiteers in the process before being removed by security guards. Another woman handcuffed herself to the podium chair, d was removed.