Greenpeace’s wheat destruction act bounces back
Police have raided Greenpeace’s head office in Sydney after some of the environmental group’s members destroyed a genetically modified (GM) wheat crop in Canberra last week.
Shortly before noon on Thursday, July 21, police "raided and locked down" the office in Ultimo, Greenpeace’s head of campaigns, Steve Campbell, said.
The raid comes after Greenpeace activists wearing protective hazard suits destroyed a trial GM wheat crop at the CSIRO’s experimental crop station in Canberra on July 14.
Greenpeace said it took the dramatic action because of concerns over health, cross-contamination and the secrecy surrounding the experiments.
"It’s a really important issue for Australia, for our environment, for our future," Campbell said. "It’s very important that we now continue our work."
A spokesperson from ACT police confirmed detectives were in the process of executing a search warrant on Greenpeace’s head office over an alleged trespass and property damage incident at CSIRO in Canberra.
Possible health benefits
The modified wheat that Greenpeace destroyed has been altered to lower its glycaemic index in an attempt to see if the grain could have health benefits such as improving blood glucose levels and lowering cholesterol.
CSIRO chief plant industry chief Jeremy Burdon has said there was no link between the trial wheat crop and Monsanto.
CropLife, a body which represents the science plant industry, last week condemned Greenpeace’s attack, saying it delayed valuable scientific research.
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