Hundreds of activists formed a human chain in front of Germany's top court Wednesday as they handed in more than 125,000 citizens' complaints against a planned Canada-EU free trade agreement. The demonstrators from a coalition of pressure groups rallied outside the Federal Constitutional Court in the south-western city of Karlsruhe and deposed around 70 cardboard boxes filled with the petitions against the deal known as CETA.
Joerg Haas of Campact, a member of the anti-CETA alliance, called the petition drive "the biggest in Germany history". It came amid mounting opposition to free trade deals in Europe's top economy. Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel made waves Sunday saying that negotiations on an even larger trade pact, between the European Union and the United States known as TTIP, were effectively dead in the water.
France then said Tuesday it wanted to halt the thorny TTIP talks, as President Francois Hollande underlined there would be no deal until after President Barack Obama leaves office in January. CETA was formally concluded in 2014 and requires the approval of 28 EU member states and European Parliament. Activists say both deals would only benefit multinationals and harm consumers by undermining protection standards.