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24 October 2001
A saboteur group set up in Palmerston North has more than 80 members
ready to rip out genetically modified crops if field trials get the
go-ahead, says one of its leaders.
Greenfingers - which promotes non-violent direct action - sprouted
after the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification recommended New
Zealand cautiously proceed with GM crops.
Massey University student Blair Masefield said 87 people in Manawatu
had joined Greenfingers, indicating they were prepared to help
sabotage crops. Another 40 backed the group but wouldn't take part in
any protest action.
Mr Masefield said the group had yet to discuss strategy. But any
action "would be in broad daylight and on a weekend".
"It probably won't be until early next year. We'll have the summer to
formulate tactics."
Mr Masefield, 22, in his second year of a double degree in economics
and natural resource planning, said he was surprised at the kind of
people who had signed up.
"We went down to the Albert Street market and asked people to sign up
if they'd be prepared to pull crops. There were a few students, but I
was amazed at the number of retired people who wanted to do it....We
would offer them the alternative to sign. But they wanted to get
involved.
"There have also been a lot of Maori and Polynesian people joining
up. It's had cross-community backing."
It was likely Massey University and crown research institutes would
be Manawatu's GM "hot spots".
Mr Masefield said he thought the range of people involved
would "prevent things from getting ugly".
"You need a cross-section to keep things balanced."
He said the group's aim was to ensure GM crops weren't grown. There
was a similar, larger group in Wellington.
Greenfingers had no political associations, and was not connected
with the Wild Greens, which had previously destroyed GM projects in
Canterbury.
The group had received such high levels of commitment because people
were appalled the anti-GM lobby - which accounted for 92 percent of
submissions to the royal commission - wasn't heeded, Mr Masefield
said.
Greenfingers wasn't totally opposed to GM.
"Maybe in 10 years they can prove it's harmless, and we can look at
it again."
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