Anger grows at Europe's ACTA of deceit

PRESSURE is growing on the European Union to drop its bid to sneak through new legislation which will effectively censor the internet.

On Friday EU official Kader Arif resigned as rapporteur of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA).

The French MEP said that negotiations over the controversial anti-piracy agreement "lacked transparency", and claimed that the European parliament was denied its say.

Arif condemned the ACTA deliberation process, saying that he witnessed "never-before-seen manoeuvres from the right wing of this parliament to impose a rushed calendar before public opinion could be alerted".

He also spoke out to "denounce in the strongest possible manner the process that led to the signature of this agreement", stating that there was an "exclusion" of the parliament's demands on numerous occasions, The Parliament reports.

Arif added: "Everyone knows ACTA is problematic, whether it is its impact on civil liberties, the way it makes internet access providers liable, its consequences on generic drugs manufacturing, or how little protection it gives to our geographical indications.

"This agreement may have a major impact on the lives of our citizens, and yet everything is done so that the European parliament has no say. I will not participate in this charade."

Meanwhile, big protests continue in Poland, where the population has woken up to the threat posed to online freedom of speech and is pressuring its government not to ratify the agreement.

Reports RT: "Unlike the week’s massive protests, Friday’s showdown had clear political overtones. While the majority of demonstrators were saying “no” to the treaty, a large crowd was also directing their anger at the government. Experts say, the scale of public dissent has managed to make authorities nervous."

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