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CNN Live Sunday

Protesters Greet Biotech Conference

Aired June 24, 2001 - 17:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
STEPHEN FRAZIER, CNN ANCHOR: In San Diego today, the biotechnology community is gathering for a conference, and outside their convention hall, protesters are taking aim at a variety of issues, including stem cell research and genetically-altered food.

CNN's Frank Buckley is there. He joins us with more. Frank, I know these are serious oppositions, serious protests, but it's hard to take anyone seriously when he's dressed up as an ear of corn.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We saw a couple of ears of corn, Stephen. They just moved past this location just a few moments ago. The colorful group of protesters, in some cases many dressed as puppets, moving toward our location at the San Diego Convention Center where the Bio 2001 Convention is getting under way. Some 12,000 to 15,000 members of the biotech community here to discuss issues related to genetic research and development in areas such as food, agriculture and health care.

Protesters here are expressing concerns about various issues coming from this like globalization, genetic-engineered foods and potential discrimination resulting from genetic information. But the convention organizers say great strides are being made in health care as a result of gene research.

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CARL FELDBAUM, BIO 2001 ORGANIZER: The fact that the human genome project, the folks who wrote out the first draft are going to be here, Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Craig Venter. They found -- we have found over decades of research that there are hundreds if not thousands of life-threatening diseases that have some genetic component. So, a great deal of the work here, the talks, the workshops, the seminars, will involve how to use that genetic information to provide new therapies and cures for people who have life-threatening diseases.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TOKAR, PROTEST ORGANIZER: All of the focus on genetics in medical research is making it very difficult for scientists who want to study the environmental causes of disease and the real causes of hunger and deprivation and problems like that all over the world. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BUCKLEY: The protester are still gathered outside of the San Diego Convention Center; some 750 to 1,000 protesters, according to official police estimates. Earlier, they were expecting upwards of 5,000 people. So police say the number was far less than they were prepared to deal with.

Protests organizers are saying, however, that they will be here for the next three days at least, and among the things that they plan to participate in here are acts of civil disobedience.

Frank Buckley, CNN, reporting live from San Diego.

FRAZIER: Frank, before you go, one question about those people working inside, not so much the protesters, and that is with the competitive nature of their research and the proprietary nature of it, how much will they share inside the convention hall?

BUCKLEY: Well, the process is very open to members of the media, and this is a very open convention in terms media coverage of what is being discussed. The proprietary nature of some of the businesses, obviously, we probably won't hear too much about those parts -- aspects of the biotech industry, but we are hearing more, and they are concentrating more on the health care benefits, as convention the organizers see it, that are resulting from the biotech industry.

FRAZIER: We're glad you're there. Frank, thank you for that update. Frank Buckley joining us from the convention.

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