Berlin – Opponents of planned EU free trade agreements with the U.S. and Canada has announced plans for a mass demonstration ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama’s Germany visit later this month, a report said on Friday.
The demonstration is due to be held in Hanover on April 23, one day before Obama is due to open the local trade fair, where the U.S. is the official partner this year.
Organisers were expecting tens of thousands of people to take part in the event, which has as its motto: “Obama and Merkel are coming: stop TTIP and Ceta!’’
The report added that Obama has been scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hanover.
“The anti-free-trade alliance is made up of numerous associations, trade unions, artists and church groups.
“Who fear that the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) might threaten environmental and legal standards,’’ it said.
The German environmental association BUND has criticised special rights of action for large companies, while trade union Verdi has warned that violations of key workers’ rights would not be prosecuted under the agreement.
The organisations accused the federal government of not having been able to dispel the criticisms.
However, a similar demonstration in Berlin in October attracted no fewer than 150,000 people, with organisers claiming as many as 250,000 participants. (dpa/NAN)