*[Enwl-eng] We won!

[ENWL]

“Thanks a lot . . . [We] couldn’t have done this without your support!” - 
Activist Veronika Feicht from the Munich Environmental Institute with a 
message to the WeMove Europe community [1]



With thousands of us supporting them, activists fought back against their 
local government and the rich food industry and won!

They spoke up against the use of pesticides in Northern Italy, famous for 
its apples. But the local government and the food industry - who are not 
used to being challenged - weren’t going to accept this.

With millions of euros at stake, they were willing to do anything to protect 
profits at the expense of our health. So they brought more than 1,300 
lawsuits to intimidate and silence local activists. [2]

This is when our community stepped in. The quiet mountain region of South 
Tyrol relies heavily on tourism and absolutely hates bad publicity. They 
were not used to seeing European people power in action. So we organised a 
protest and spread our message in multiple languages, attracting a lot of 
attention and bringing bad press to South Tyrol. [3]

Earlier this month, courts in Northern Italy dropped the last remaining 
lawsuit. [4] This result shows that when we come together we can help local 
activists stand up to governments and companies.

But this win isn’t just about a few activists in Northern Italy. It’s about 
stopping intimidating lawsuits across Europe. And it’s about everyone in 
Europe being able to take on decision makers without being bullied into 
silence.

And the person who could stop these lawsuits in Europe took notice, the 
Vice-President of the European Commission, Vera Jourová. She publicly showed 
support for our win. [5] And we hope this victory gives her the momentum to 
ensure the EU protects activists from intimidating lawsuits. [6]



When activists contacted us back in 2020, they were filled with panic and 
anxiety. They could face huge fines and were scared about taking on a 
government and a rich industry. Now, there is a sense of relief that justice 
was done. Today, we can celebrate that when we come together, no one is too 
big to take on. Justice can prevail!

With pride,
David (London), Giulio (Rome) and the entire WeMove Europe team



P.S. When needed, this community comes together to support local activists, 
like those in Northern Italy fighting to keep pesticides out of our food. 
Today those activists can criticise the government and the apple industry 
without fear. This win took two years. And our ability to stay in these 
fights comes from small donations from this community. When thousands of us 
chip in just a little each, it adds up to the resources needed for change. 
So will you chip in to make sure we can continue to support local activists? 
Donate now



References:
[1] Earlier this month, activists stood outside a courtroom in Northern 
Italy after a huge win for freedom of expression and in the fight to stop 
pesticides.
[2] Many European companies, powerful individuals and governments have 
started using intimidating and costly lawsuits to stop freedom of 
expression. These lawsuits are often referred to as Strategic Lawsuits 
against Public Participation or SLAPPs. These damaging suits chill free 
speech and healthy debate by targeting those who communicate with their 
government or speak out on issues of public interest. SLAPPs are used to 
silence and harass critics by forcing them to spend money to defend these 
baseless suits. See, https://anti-slapp.org/what-is-a-slapp
[3] https://www.slowfood.com/do-pesticides-poison-freedom-of-expression/
[4] https://www.the-case.eu/southtyrol-pesticide-slapp
https://organic-market.info/news/pesticide-trial-in-south-tyrol-ends-with-acquittal.html
[5] https://twitter.com/VeraJourova/status/1524439185511362560
[6] 
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/apr/27/eu-announces-plans-protect-journalists-vexatious-lawsuits-anti-slapp



WeMove Europe is a community of people from all walks of life, who call 
Europe our home,
no matter where we were born, where we live or who we love. In the name of a 
brighter future for people and the planet,
we come together to sign petitions, send letters and protest on the streets 
to make our voices heard.
Our power comes from each other. And it's thanks to small monthly donations, 
fivers and tenners, that we can keep going.

Vladimir, please help keep WeMove Europe strong by chipping in.

      DONATE!


WeMove Europe SCE mbH | Planufer 91 Berlin | www.wemove.eu | Privacy policy 
|


From: David - WeMove Europe
Sent: Monday, May 30, 2022 5:23 PM
Subject: We won!



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