Reclaim the Commons (RTC) is mobilizing four days of grassroots events and actions in response to the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) 2006 convention in Chicago. From April 8th to 11th, activists will converge in Chicago to highlight the threat that genetic engineering poses to the livelihood of farmers, the safety of our food supply, damage to human rights and food sovereignty, as well as offer sustainable community-based alternatives to corporate strangleholds over agriculture and medicine.

Animal rights activists, in solidarity with RTC, are organizing events and protests calling for the biotech industry to end all animal exploitation including but not limited to: vivisection, animal testing, and the creation and reproduction of cloned and transgenic animals. Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), Europe's largest contract research organization, is a particular target of AR activities during the week of events because so many of BIO's members are affiliated with the torture lab. BIO has stated that they will "highlight recent advances in animal biotechnology," in addition to holding specific workshops aimed at dealing with the threat posed to biotech by the AR movement. Activists are going to be in the streets nearly every day to denounce BIO and HLS.

RTC Workshop Schedule and Descriptions for April 9th at Acme Artworks | Also check out BioETHICS 2006: "The Voice of Reason" and their schedule of events.

Videos: Nat'l Family Farm Coaltion / GMOpposition event/interviews | Bayer, BIO member, Sells HIV-Tainted Hemophiliac Drug to Europe, Asia, and Central America with Approval of FDA

Photos from Festival: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 (courtesy of People's Newswire)