GM-MOO! 5 Sainsbury’s Distro Depots Blockaded

On Feb 22nd five of supermarket chain Sainsbury’s Regional Distribution Centres (RDCs) were simultaneously blockaded. The actions commenced at 10:30am blocking depots in Basingstoke, Hampshire; East Kilbride, near Glasgow; Elstree, North London; Maidstone, Kent and Stone, Staffordshire.

Sainsbury’s was targeted because of their failure to follow recent moves by other supermarkets in announcing a date by which all own-brand meat, dairy, egg and fish products will be from animals raised on a GM free diet. Such products are a back door-route by which GE food can enter the commercial market. Currently up to 75% of GE crops world-wide go into animal feed.

Protestors from a range of action groups, some dressed as cows, chained themselves to lorries bringing the depots to a standstill for several hours. At Stone, four protesters managed to crawl under and lock-onto a refrigerated lorry for three hours. They were cut free (one from the engine block) and promptly arrested for aggravated trespass. Meanwhile a group of cows managed to stop and lock-on to a leaving lorry in Maidstone. For two hours the cows prevented any lorries from entering or leaving the depot. Police then led the two cows and two bulls away and arrested them for aggravated trespass and breach of the peace.

This action hit around a quarter of Sainsbury’s frozen/chilled food RDCs. GM fed animal products are most likely to be found in these products.

Contact GEN 020 7690 0626 genetics@gn.apc.org for more GE info.