Montréal — French Prime Minister Manuel Valls arrives in Canada this week to promote CETA (the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement). At the same time, another prominent voice, José Bové, Member of European Parliament and well-known anti-globalization activist, will be highlighting the dangers of the deal during his visit to Montréal on October 11-13.
Bové was a sheep farmer and trade union activist who rose to international celebrity status after the symbolic demolition of a McDonald’s under construction in 1999. This was to protest the WTO’s liberalization of agriculture. Elected as a Green Member of European Parliament since 2009, he is in Canada to highlight another looming disaster: CETA.
“Following in the footsteps of his colleague, German Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, French Prime Minister Mr. Valls will be here to sell you a dream about a ‘progressive’ agreement, but that is simply not so,” says Bové. “It is urgent to fight against CETA on both sides of the Atlantic. CETA is a Trojan horse for multinational corporations that seek to use it to bend rules as they wish. For family farms that provide quality food, whether European or Canadian, it is a major setback. The rules simply stack the deck in favour of corporate agriculture, and many farmers could lose their livelihoods.”
José Bové’s visit to Montréal is being hosted by the Council of Canadians, the Quebec Network for Continental Integration (RQIC), Vigilance OGM, National Farmers Union, Union paysanne. It also involves these RQIC members: Attac-Québec, CSD, CSN, and Génération nationale.
Bové will be speaking tonight at 7 p.m. at a public forum on how CETA would be a setback for food sovereignty, social justice and the environment. The event takes place at Centre St-Pierre, Fernand-Daoust, Room 1205, 1212 Panet, Montréal (métro Beaudry). Other speakers include Nathalie Guay, Quebec Network on Continental Integration (RQIC); Anne-Céline Guyon, Stop Oléoduc; Jan Slomp, National Farmers Union; and Sujata Dey, The Council of Canadians.
Bové will also speak at a press conference tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. at 2100 Maisonneuve in Room 323 (corner of De Lorimier, métro Papineau).
Mr. Bové will be available for media interviews during his visit from October 11-13.
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For more information or to arrange interviews:
Dylan Penner, Media Officer, Council of Canadians, 613-795-8685, dpenner@canadians.org. Twitter: @CouncilOfCDNs
Jean-Marc Desfilhes, attaché de José Bové, +33 631 912 557
