WE DON’T WANT IT! CETA protesters block EU Parliament to STOP Canada trade deal
PROTESTERS against the EU-Canada CETA trade deal attempted to block entry to the European Parliament in Strasbourg where Brussels bureaucrats are preparing to vote on the landmark agreement.
CETA protestors block entry to the European Parliament
Armed with banners emblazoned with the the slogan “The more you insist, the more we resist” and a giant Trojan Horse balloon, campaigners lined the streets outside the European Parliament to protest against the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Some of the protestors, wearing all-white boiler suits, lay on the ground, which meant those entering the building would have to walk over them.
Canada’s controversial trade pact with the Brussels club was signed last October after a lengthy battle, but it will have to be ratified by the European Parliament before being approved by the national legislatures of the 28 EU member states.
Protestors in Strasbourg have blocked the entrance to the EU Parliament
Campaigners chanted 'No to CETA'
The more you insist, the more we resist
The deal will come into full force in early 2017, when most import duties are to be lifted.
Supporters say CETA will boost trade between Canada and Europe by 20 per cent and annually £10.2bn (€12bn) to the European Union economy and £7.1bn (€8.4bn) to Canada’s economy.
However protestors believe the CETA trade agreement will result in a loss of jobs, lower safety standards and great freer reign to corporations.
Protestors lay on the ground outside the European Parliament
Others fear CETA will pave the way for a larger EU deal with the US, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Treaty (TTIP), which has long been objected by labour unions and environmental activists.
CETA protestors believe the deal with cause job losses
Proponents implored MEPs not to scupper one of the EU’s flagship projects and deliver another devastating blow to Brussels’ battered reputation.