sous les pavés, la plage!
philadelphia, june 16-21, 2005

This June in Philadelphia, thousands of wealthy capitalists and biological profiteers representing the Biotechnology Industry Organization will convene in Philly to celebrate and promote their dangerous manipulation of life’s very building blocks for private gain. Missing from their PR agenda will be the destructive, racist, and ecologically catastrophic consequences of playing God with the global gene pool. In response, thousands of concerned activists and citizens will gather to decry this ruthless commodification of Earth’s biodiversity and the proliferation of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

Working as part of this mobilization, we the Under the Pavement Collective intend to facilitate the presence of a strong radical caucus with the perspective to critique biotechnology in the context of our resistance to all forms of domination. As such, our enemies are not just GMOs but global capitalism, neo-colonialism, patriarchy, the industrial ethos, & anthropocentric western science itself, which aim to reduce all people and nature to orders of coercion and control. We mean to not only point and shout in academic terms, but to demonstrate workable alternatives to the systems we oppose.

The gathering kicks off on June 16-18 with the 25th Anniversary International Food Not Bombs Gathering and Celebration. Cook, eat, network, share skills and discuss issues with food-lovin’ radicals from far and wide. Also that weekend will be an open-air festival for “bio-democracy” and a day for convergers to help out a neighborhood garden – get your hands dirty supporting community food sovereignty and sustainable local growing!

Monday the 20th will be a day of skillshares for sustainable, post-capitalist urban living. Themes will include gardening and growing, squatting, bicycle technology and alternatives to car culture, composting and greywater, d.i.y. physical and mental health, nutrition, anti-oppression community dynamics, d.i.y. sustainable energy, post-consumer resource reclamation, urban foraging & more. We are still actively soliciting ideas for workshops & events.

We are also planning a project called Bikes Against Biotech which will include a workspace to provide refurbished bicycles for out-of-towners and at least one Critical Mass-style protest ride against the BIO convention. The rest of the week will include block parties, music, marches, and maybe even a few surprises on June 21, the Summer Solstice – the longest Day (of Action) in the year! Come to Philly to oppose biotech and sow the seeds of widespread resistance to industrial capitalism. We can and will destroy this machine from within – let’s get busy!

Love & rage,
Under the Pavement Organizing Collective, Philadelphia
underthepavement-AT-riseup.net – www.gbug.org