FX.co ★ Germans protest against EU’s TTIP trade deal

Almost 320,000 people have protested in cities across Germany against the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a trade deal between the EU and the US.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Cologne, Leipzig, Frankfurt and Munich.
The number of protesters turned out to be much bigger than expected. It had been stated that 100,000 would take part; however, the number was three times larger. There were representatives of over three dozens of political parties, trade unions and NGOs.
About 70,000 protesters turned about in Berlin alone, despite heavy rain.
Participants say they object to secretive negotiations between the European Commission and Washington. Demonstrators demanded that authorities announce true motives of the agreement.
World’s major corporations are lobbying for TTIP. Activists who oppose the deal say the agreement violates social, health and environmental standards adopted in Europe, and may lead to a weakening of power of state institutions. Moreover, there is a threat that the EU countries may lose some of their share of domestic and foreign markets.
In spite of the protests, German chancellor Angela Merkel supports the deal. However, the country’s vice-chancellor and economy minister, Sigmar Gabriel, said TTIP could hurt the EU economy.