In Brazil, environmentalists protest use of living modified organisms

Published: 2006-03-21

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (CNS) -- Greenpeace activists chose Rio de Janeiro's most famous monument, Christ the Redeemer, to protest against the global commerce of living modified organisms. Six members of the environmental group climbed nearly to the top of the 98-foot statue March 16 to drape a sign along the sculpture's arm. The sign read: "The future of the planet is in your hands." The protest was designed to call attention to a March 13-17 meeting in Curitiba, Brazil, of 1,000 people: representatives of countries who signed on to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and representatives of other governments, U.N. agencies, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, academia and industry. The Christ the Redeemer statue sits atop Corcovado mountain, overlooking Rio de Janeiro. Protesters were only able to keep the sign visible for a few minutes before park security arrested them. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is an international treaty governing the cross-border transport of genetically modified organisms.

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