Occupy Gezi Crackdown Intensifies; GMO Labeling Victory; Europeans Rebel Against Lending Troika

Occupy Gezi Crackdown Intensifies: On June 5, Anonymous and the Syrian Electronic Army hacked Turkish government networks in support of Turkey’s ongoing anti-government protests. Meanwhile, Turkish police continue to clamp down on the growing protest movement, and have detained at least 25 Turkish social media activists for ​“instigating public hatred and animosity” through Twitter postings. At least two people have been killed and thousands injured since last Friday, as protests over the government’s decision to convert a public park in Istanbul into a shopping mall mushroomed into general anti-government demonstrations across the country.

Europeans Rebel Against Lending Troika: Thousands protested in cities across Europe Saturday against the troika of international lenders — the International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the European Central Bank — for promoting austerity and monetary policies that have caused economic hardship for millions of Europeans. From Madrid to Frankfurt, protesters rallied against the imposition of lending conditions, including painful cuts and tax hikes, on borrowing countries in exchange for the monetary bailouts that have done little to alleviate crisis in the Eurozone.

GMO Labeling Victory: On June 1, Connecticut became the first U.S. state to enact a law requiring labeling of all food containing genetically modified ingredients, though the law will not take effect until four other U.S. states have passed similar legislation. The caveat, added as a bipartisan compromise, encourages biotech lobbyists to work harder to defeat similar laws in other states, as occurred in New York only a day later. Fear of lawsuits by companies like Monsanto has deterred several states from passing GMO labeling laws. A federal bill that would mandate GMO labeling was introduced in April by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), though it is unlikely to pass.