Biotech Bigwigs, Biotech Protesters Descend on the City

Some people might wind up on the blotter starting tomorrow. Police are getting ready for an onslaught of protesters for Bio 2007, the gigantic biotech conference that starts on Sunday. We think that making such a fuss about it makes protesters look like a bunch of peasants armed with pitchforks, and anyone working in biotech should already be prepared for people to have a lot of questions. It's probably going to be a lot of people, a lot of posters, and the occasional bullhorn.

Police are treating the situation as they did for the DNC - by giving protesters a space across the street from the Boston Convention Center.

Many of the protesters will be there for a local cause - Boston University's plans to build a lab in the South End where scientists will study some scary stuff. The Stop the Biolab Coalition plans to crash a big biolab party with a "die-in" at 6:00 pm on Monday night outside the ICA "where Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick are hosting a reception for biotechnology executives in a bid to lure business to the state." The Stop the Biolab Coalition will be bringing the hazmat suits.

It's understandable why the Stop the Biolab Coalition is angry. They list what is expected to be studied at the lab: "tularemia, anthrax, and the Ebola viruses." And Boston University has already had trouble with a fire at a lab that was studying tularemia, or "rabbit fever."

Image of Bio 2007 logo from their official site.