[580] in Vegetarian_Support_Group
April 15 McDonald's Worldwide Protest Summary
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Laura Dilley )
Mon May 22 18:44:14 1995
To: save@MIT.EDU, vsg@MIT.EDU
Date: Mon, 22 May 95 18:39:38
From: elsiedee@MIT.EDU (Laura Dilley )
------- Forwarded Message
To: mclibel@world.std.com
Subject: April 15 Worldwide Protest Summary
Date: Mon, 22 May 1995 17:40:35 -0400
From: dbriars@world.std.com
21 May 1995
Dear e-mail friends ... here follows the latest news from the
McLibel Support Campaign for you to circulate.
Many thanks -- Albert Beale
======================================================
McLibel Support Campaign
c/o 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, UK.
Tel/fax +44-171-713 1269
May, 1995
40 years of McGarbage
Worldwide Anti-Birthday Events
On 15th April 1995, there were INTERNATIONAL PROTESTS to mark the
40TH ANNIVERSARY of the opening of the WORLD'S FIRST STORE of the
McDONALD'S CORPORATION, and to celebrate 10 years of co-ordinated
international resistance to McDonald's
There were actions in at least 20 countries including New Zealand,
Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Poland, Denmark, Australia, Czech
Republic, Croatia, Netherlands, Germany, Finland, USA and the UK.
We are still waiting to receive reports of many of these actions
but here is a summary of the protests we have heard about so far.
USA - McLIBEL DEFENDANTS VISITED CHICAGO
Helen Steel and Dave Morris, the Defendants in the McDonald's
libel trial, were flown over by their US supporters to join an
anti-birthday event outside the first store opened by the
McDonald's Corporation, in Des Plaines, Illinois (near Chicago).
About 40 demonstrators marched in a circle by the first store (now
a museum), shouting slogans and carrying placards informing
passers-by of McDonald's exploitation of people, animals and the
environment. McDonald's cancelled special plans to open the
museum on that day, effectively abandoning any anniversary
celebrations. Beforehand, the protesters picketted a McDonald's
in downtown Chicago and held a press conference at which Helen and
Dave smashed a big birthday cake bedecked with 40 candles. "With
this day of protests, people are passing judgment on 40 years of
junk food, junk jobs, and the discarded mountains of just plain
junk," Dave said. UPI and Reuters newsagencies reported the event
as well as local media in Chicago. A filmcrew from Australia were
taking pictures to incorporate in a 15 minute documentary being
made for a current affairs programme in Australia. And another
filmcrew also filmed the events for a documentary to be made in
the UK.
There were also demonstrations in Washington DC, Detroit, New
York, and possibly other towns.
UK - over 100 stores picketted
More than 120,000 leaflets were handed out across the UK, and some
people returned bags of McDonald's litter to the company as part
of the Operation 'Send-It-Back' campaign. At many stores,
McDonald's workers were handed special leaflets expressing
opposition to low pay and exploitation, and offering solidarity
and encouragement to organise for their rights. Actions took
place outside more than 100 stores in Glasgow, Derby, Cardiff,
Brighton, Carlisle, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Taunton, Grimsby,
Manchester, Hereford, Cambridge, Guernsey, Bristol, Edinburgh,
Newcastle, Birmingham, Nottingham, Huddersfield, Swansea,
Kettering, Dundee, Hull, London and many other towns. There were
articles in the Guardian, the Observer, New Statesman (national
newspapers and magazine), as well as TV coverage in London and
reports in many local papers and on local radio/TV.
Leicester Square McDonald's, Central London -
35 protesters gathered outside the Leicester Square McDonald's,
handing out leaflets to members of the public. German, Italian
and Spanish translations were also on hand for passers-by from
abroad. A mountain of bags full of McDonald's litter and a person
dressed in a 'litter suit' made from discarded clamshells, fry
cartons, drinks cups and burger wrappers were there to highlight
the problems of waste, pollution and litter caused by the
company's excessive packaging. A banner displayed for passers-by
and customers inside the store read "40 years of McGarbage".
Also, there was a person dressed as a McDonald's worker, who was
chained to a large mock-up burger, symbolising McDonald's
exploitation of workers through poor pay and conditions. Many
passers-by stopped to discuss the issues and view the spectacle.
On two occasions during the picket, some protesters went inside
the store to hand out leaflets to the customers as they ate their
burgers. A picnic was staged outside - bread and fruit was laid
out on blankets for the protesters and anyone passing by to share
for free and enjoy. The pieces of bread were shaped into letters
which read: "Real Food".
As the climax to the protest, the demonstrators took the bags of
litter into the store to return them to the company. The banner
was also taken inside. One protester shouted "We've had 40 years
of McGarbage, and we don't want another 40 years."
Swindon McDonald's -
about 80 people attending the Earth First! Gathering nearby
descended on the main McDonald's in Swindon. They went into the
store, handed out leaflets, and sang "Unhappy Birthday". After
half an hour, the police arrived and asked everyone to leave
including the customers. The protesters then staged a sit-down
outside. The manager of the store decided to close it and it
remained shut for the rest of the day. This apparently cost
McDonald's #5,000 in lost revenue. Also in Swindon, some
demonstrators went to a Drive-Through McDonald's, and drove round
and round asking for veggie burgers each time they came to the
intercom!
Norwich McDonald's -
individuals calling themselves Super Heroes Against McDonald's
(SHAM) staged a die-in in a store in Norwich to express their
disgust at McDonald's activities. Eight people collapsed to the
floor, blocking the entrance, and had to be removed by staff and
police.
Oxford Street McDonald's, Central London -
The manager of this McDonald's had a shock just before the 40th
anniversary when his 'restaurant' was included in the itinerary of
the regular Critical Mass bike ride. Critical Mass is a
fast-growing worldwide phenomenon in which cyclists gather to
assert their right to ride without being killed, maimed and gassed
by cars - by cycling together through the city at a leisurely pace
for an hour or so. On this occasion, 200 cyclists decided to turn
this store into a 'Bike-Thru'. Cries of "Go ahead and sue us"
were heard as the ride left!
Glasgow McDonald's -
there were protests on 15th April and 1st May. About 30 people
presented a lively and noisy demonstration each time with lots of
placards and banners. Some people wrote anti-McDonald's slogans
on the paved street outside with chalk.
Derby McDonald's -
protesters constructed a large mountain of McLitter with a
"McDonald's Person" on the summit made from drinks cups, fry
cartons, and other assorted items. The protesters stayed for 6
hours. Some of the crew members asked for leaflets and one even
offered more McLitter for the mountain. The litter mountain was
later sent in a number of boxes to Paul Preston at McDonald's Euro
HQ.
Dundee McDonald's -
there were more than 20 people on this protest. One of the
passers-by was a street cleaner who said that 70% of the litter he
collects comes from McDonald's.
CZECH REPUBLIC
150 people marched through the centre of Brno handing out leaflets
after which there was a benefit gig when 5 bands played and videos
were shown.
FINLAND
In Finland, there were protests in Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti,
Vantaa and Jyvaskyla. In Tampere, there were pickets outside three
stores at which bags of McGarbage were returned. There were about
250 people at the demonstrations outside 6 stores in Helsinki.
There was street theatre, anti-McDonald's songs, flags, bags of
McGarbage, and 3,500 leaflets about the company were handed out.
FRANCE
Special leaflets to 'celebrate' McDonald's 40th birthday were
handed out in Grenoble.
GERMANY
Under a banner reading "Bloody Birthday, McDeath", activists from
"The Animals' Voice", "MUT - Menschenrecht und Tierrecht", and
"NaJu - Nuturschutzjugend" were demonstrating for 10 hours in
front of the Dieburg McDonald's. The manager tried to bribe them
into silence with offers of free Big Macs, salads, and Cokes. But
"No chance, Mr. Big Mac"!
1,500 leaflets were handed out outside McDonald's in Stuttgart; to
create a little chaos, the protesters printed some coupons which
promised people free french fries and free coca-cola. There were
also actions in Goppingen and possibly other towns.
NORWAY
80 people demonstrated outside McDonald's headquarters and a store
in Oslo, coordinated by a new group called McDonald's Boikotten.
There are plans for demonstrations in Tonsberg, Trondheim, Bergen,
and another in Oslo this summer.
SPAIN
Between 50 and 60 people marched with banners and placards along
the Ramblas in the centre of Barcelona, handing out 2,000
leaflets. The McLibel video dubbed into Spanish was shown at a
meal and discussion afterwards. There were also actions in
Alicante, Valencia, Madrid, Valladolid, and Mallorca.
SWITZERLAND
There was a demonstration in Geneva.
If you participated in a protest against McDonald's on
April 15th (or at any other time), we would be grateful if
you could let us know about it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
U.S. McLibel Support Campaign Press Office
PO Box 62 Phone/Fax 802-586-9628
Craftsbury VT 05826-0062 Email dbriars@world.std.com
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