Greenpeace attacks Canberra GM wheat it says is for secret human trials, links Monsanto

GREENPEACE activists have attacked a genetically modified wheat crop being grown at a CSIRO experimental station in Canberra.

The group claims the trial crop is part of a secret experiment which will involve human feeding trials later this year.

Greenpeace said two of its members used whipper snippers to remove the wheat from a CSIRO site at Ginninderra in Canberra's north.

The attack came after CSIRO denied a Freedom of Information request for more information about the trials.

Greenpeace has called for the organisation to reveal what financial arrangements it has with GM companies such as the US-based multinational Monsanto.

"The only reason our CSIRO is putting it in the ground is because they've been bought out by foreign GM companies," Greenpeace campaigner Laura Kelly said.

In a statement released to News.com.au the CSIRO said police were investigating the incident.

"CSIRO can confirm there has been a break-in overnight at their crop trial site at Ginninderra in the ACT," the statement read.

"The police, and the government’s gene technology regulatory authority - the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) – have been informed and are inspecting the site.

"CSIRO is currently assessing the damage to the trial crops and considering next steps."

The statement did not confirm or deny the trial was to include human feeding or connected to any private companies involved in GM research, but provided a link to its policy on gene technology on its website.

Greenpeace claims CSIRO animal feeding tests show that there are risks associated with GM crops.

"They fed GM crops to mice and the mice displayed allergic reactions and failed to gain weight," Ms Kelly said, adding the effect on humans was still unknown because it had never been tested.

Australia's $4.7 billion wheat export industry was too important to hand over to foreign GM companies, she said.

Intereresting Hacktivism?

IV. Monsanto Attacked

In related news, Anonymous vowed Monday to step up attacks on contractor Monsanto Comp. (MON).

Monsanto is a firm with a long and controversial history.  It is accused of abusing intellectual property rights to sue small farms (allowing its patented crops to blow seeds onto their properties, then suing them); trying to bribe officials in Canada and Indonesia [1][2]; and suing dairy farmers who advertise that their milk doesn't contain growth hormones.  And they also were the company responsible for spraying Agent Orange all over soldiers in Vietnam, which is thought to have led to cancer and other ailments.

Anonymous broke the news of new possible attacks, writing:

@MonsatoCo is now suing small dairy farmers for advertising that they use no growth hormones.  For NOT using their product.

The operation's Twitter account "OpMonsanto", posted on June 26:

We're going to hit @MonsantoCo with something a little bit more serious than a DDoS this time around. Fuck 'em. #ExpectUs

It posted a brief press release, writing:

Over the last 2 months we have pushed the exposure of hundreds of pages of articles detailing Monsanto's corrupt, unethical, and downright evil business practices. We've created a nice go-to reference guide on piratepad/anonpad(anonpad.org/opmonsanto, backed up elsewhere), where anyone can read up on and add their own info about MonsantoCo.
We blasted their web infrastructure to shit for 2 days straight, crippling all 3 of their mail servers as well as taking down their main websites world-wide. We dropped dox on 2500+ employees and associates, including full names, addresses, phone numbers, and exactly where they work. We are also in the process of setting up a wiki, to try and get all collected information in a more centralized and stable environment. Not bad for 2 months, I'd say.
What's next? Not sure... it might have something to do with that open 6666 IRC port on their nexus server though ;)
Expect Us

It indeed "doxed" Monsanto's employees -- in fact it appears to have exposed the names and addresses of 2,500+ of them.  How this information might be used/abused is unknown, but it could lead to at least some minor harassment.