Hundreds of thousands of people marched in Berlin on Saturday to protest against planned free trade agreements between the European Union and both the United States and Canada. According to the organisers, 250,000 people took to the streets while police said 150,000 attended. Demonstrators say that the the free trade agreements TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) with the US and a similar deal with Canada, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), are anti-democratic and could threaten food safety, labour, health and environmental standards. The protest was backed by more than 170 German environmental, farmers’ and development organisations, charities, labour unions, opposition parties and other groups. Several trains and more than 600 buses had been chartered to bring people from the whole country to the German capital. Carrying banners and flags and chanting slogans opposing the trade deals, protesters walked from Berlin’s main railway station and passed the Brandenburg Gate before reaching the victory column where the manifestation ended in a huge event with speeches and concerts. “This is the biggest protest that this country has seen for many, many years,” Christoph Bautz, director of citizens’ movement Campact told protesters in a speech. The organisers were overwhelmed by the large number of people, they had expected some 50,000 participants. “Together we are defending our democracy and taking to the streets for fair trade,” the organisers said. They call for a stop of the TTIP negotiations based on the current mandate and say that the existing CETA contracts cannot be ratified in their current form. Already on Wednesday, a petition with more than 3 million signatures gathered over last year against the two trade deals was submitted to the European Commission. TTIP would create the world’s largest free-trade zone with 800 million consumers and harmonise regulation between the EU and North America in areas ranging from food safety law to environmental rules. Activists fear that regulations could be watered down, for example with regard to genetically modified foods or workers benefits. Campaigners are particularly concerned about a provision in the deal that would allow companies to sue governments in special tribunals. (ab)