TTIP is a trade deal between the US and the EU. It's signed on a government level and should make trading easier, mostly for big companies. To make trading easier, the deal makes sure that regulations are made the same in the US and the EU. That's bad for Europeans because we have way stricter regulations to protect our health for example (chemicals in food, work conditions etc.).
An even worse thing is the ISDS chapter in this deal. It describes how disputes between a company and a country (yes, a COUNTRY) get settled. Basically this happens in private courts and behind closed doors, outside our regular, public justice system.
The worst thing is that this deal is being negotiated in insane secrecy. The ONLY people with easy access to the deal's documents are a key group of politicians and... plenty of lobbyist from big corporations! WHY?
After this deal gets signed, the people living in a country are completely owned by big corporations and there is nothing we can do about it. When for example a country restricts smoking, big tobacco companies can sue that country for lost income. Billions of euros can be up for grabs this way. Euros that could be spent on healthcare, schools, the needy etc. etc.
Resistance to this TTP deal is growing and right now, more than 60% of the people that read up on it, is against it.
TTIP must be stopped! It is NOT GOOD FOR US.
So after talking the talk for a year, today I had a chance to also walk the walk. This will not change things immediately but it generates talk and it shows that people are waking up. It also shows support to those actively fighting this deal in politics.
I sincerely hope that I am able to also wake up a few people.
All together there were about 7000 people. We gathered on a square and then marched through town to Museum square.
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