
INTERNATIONAL MCLIBEL ROUND-UP JAN 1995

Since the McLibel Support Campaign was set up we have been hearing
reports from all around the globe about independent campaigns and
actions against McDonalds.  The court case has attracted over 200
articles in the press, as well as international TV and radio
coverage, and Helen and Dave were nominated a Role of Honour by
readers of Britain's The Guardian newspaper "for taking on the
most litigious and biggest food supplier in the world and
defending themselves in what is expected to be the longest libel
case in Britain"

Here is a global round-up of some of the news and actions we have
heard about in the last year. Please send us news or press
cuttings for our next round-up.

FRANCE - On 9 July 1994 sixty seven workers at a local McDonald's
in Massy, a suburb of North Paris, pulled a surprise strike,
closing the store down during its busiest period.  They were
demanding "respect of their rights to engage in union activity,
paid vacations, the right to choose their own delegates and
recognition of their personal needs." Less than 24 hours after the
strike an agreement was signed between management and the General
Confederation of Workers (CGT) union representing the workers.  A
few days later McDonald's workers in the town of Ulis walked out.
In Nantes, west France, McDonald's workers prepared a week of
action with CGT trade unionists.

In France employees of companies of over 50 workers have the legal
right to elect "delegates" with various rights, such as checking
that overtime is paid and employment contracts are followed.  But
in Lyons ten McDonald's managers were arrested, accused of
violating these rights by threatening that any employee voting for
union delegates would be sacked.  Only 38 of 458 employees voted
in the first election.  According to the union CFDT,  employees
said they had been told that anyone voting for the union would be
sacked.  Mr Hammache of the CFDT will be a witness for the defense
in the London McLibel trial in 1995.

Leafleting also took place around Grenoble with the ultimate aim
of getting a trade union set up in the city's McDonald's. Contact:
CNT-SSE Grenoble, BP 385, 38015 Grenoble, Cedex 1, France.

BELGIUM - Two gigs took place to raise money for the McLibel court
case in London. In previous years occupations and blockades have
taken place.

GERMANY -  A group campaigning against McDonalds in Dusseldorf
have received threats from the company.

UK - In April 1994 the Kent branch of the trade union UNISON
unanimously passed a resolution saying "This branch recognizes the
poor working conditions at McDonald's and their hostility to Trade
Unionism, and supports: the right of their staff to organize and
take on industrial action; protests against the company's attempts
to suppress criticism, in particular the use of libel laws as
censorship, and resolves to back the McLibel Support Campaign in
its protests and the FREE SPEECH PLEDGE and to circulate
information about the case".  We urge all union members to get
their branches to pass similar motions and to make a donation to
our campaign. During 1994 a McDonald's worker's support group was
set up by the Hackney Trade Union Support Group at 16a Bradbury
Street, London N16.

On 1 October 1994 McDonald's executives held a celebration along
with a jazz band and clown at their Woolwich store to mark 20
years since this first store opened in the UK.  Twenty five London
Greenpeace and McLibel supporters gathered with a banner reading
"20 Years of McGarbage" and handed out 4000 "What's Wrong With
McDonald's" leaflets to passers-by.

On 8 October, at the third national day of action in 1994,  scores
of McDonald's stores all around the country were leafleted
including at least 35 in the London area alone plus Swindon,
Bristol, Bath, Chippenham, Nottingam, Manchester and Edinburgh.
The month of protest continued with an action at the UK McDonald's
headquarters where sackfuls of the company's litter picked up off
the streets were returned to McDonald's.  A week later 500 people
attended the National March Against McDonald's through central
London to protest against the company's exploitation of people,
animals and the environment.

In November 1994 at a Manchester Drive-In a pantomime cow and
clowns were removed forcibly and violently by police during a
demonstration organized by Manchester Earth First! On 17 December
1994 protesters outside Kingston McDonald's were threatened with
having their legs broken by a McDonald's manager - protests
continue. In some other towns such as Newcastle and Hastings
pickets are held fortnightly.

In November local residents from Wandsworth in London protested at
further cuts in the borough's public spending budget.  Anti
McDonald's protesters highlighted the  #15,000 which the council
has given McDonald's to build an in-store creche  when it
continues to cut back on public spending.

A group of young people called Kids Against Big Mac have organized
pickets and are distributing their own leaflets. You can organize
a group in your town or contact: Kids Against BigMac, PO Box 287,
London NW6 5QU.

SPAIN: 200 people protested outside McDonald's in Valencia on
World Food Day. A picket of a McDonald's in Madrid took place the
same day.

Contact: McLibel Support Campaign, c/o Mike, El Lokal, C/ de la
Cera 1 Bis, 08001 Barcelona, Spain.

NORWAY: An anti-McDonald's group will be set up in the new year.
Correspondence will be forwarded by The Mclibel Support Campaign
in London.

NETHERLANDS - On 15 and 16 October Anti McDonald's Day was marked
with actions in Amsterdam, Groningen, Njmegen, Maastrict and
Vlissingen.

DENMARK - On New Year's Day 1995, according to The Guardian (2
January 1995) McDonald's in Copenhagen was broken into and smashed
up by hundreds of "left wing anarchists" because it "symbolizes
capitalism and money".  Furniture was ripped out and burnt on a
bonfire.

PORTUGAL - Protesters were beaten up and arrested by police after
a demonstration outside a Lisbon McDonald's where 80 demonstrators
voiced their opposition to the BigMac.  Leafleting continues
across the country.

IRELAND - This year there have been pickets of McDonald's stores
in  Dublin, Belfast and other towns. Since March 1994 the Alliance
For Animal Rights [AFAR] in Galway have been harassed by the
police and threatened with arrest for displaying placards and
distributing information outside their local McDonald's.  The
manager of McDonald's has taken photographs of protesters. Violent
threats and threats of libel action have been made to protesters
who believe that they have had quite an effect on McDonald's trade
in Galway.  According to AFAR, Galway McDonald's is the only
branch in Europe which is losing money. Victory!

Contact: McLibel Support Campaign will forward mail to AFAR in
Galway.

ITALY

On 26 February 1994 about 40 animal rights activists  protested
outside McDonald's in Torino. There was widespread public support
for the protesters.

ICELAND - Copies of the leaflet "What's wrong with McDonald's" are
circulating in Reykjavik.  McDonald's moved into Iceland a year
ago amiss trade union protests.

CZECH REPUBLIC - A McLibel supporter in the Czech Republic writes
"All people here, after the fall of socialism thought everything
would be better, but I have to say that it is even worse. Rapid
increase of racism, no one cares about the environment, our
country is flooded with Western capitalism..."

There have been several actions against McDonald's in different
Czech cities.  On 7 December 1993 in the Moravian city of Brno, a
McDonald's assistant manager sprayed tear gas in a photographer's
face during a protest at the opening of the county's seventh
McDonald's.  After initially denying that the offender was a
McDonald's employee, the company issued a formal apology to the
Czech Press Agency photographer. The incident occurred when about
30 people, mainly from the environmental group Duha were pushed
and carried out of a McDonald's restaurant where they had been
eating vegetables in a peaceful protest. "Just taking up the space
is a form of violence" said McDonald's public relations manager
Drahomira Jirakova.  The McDonald's employee was asked to pay a
small fine but is still working at McDonald's.  At a demo in
Prague 200 people turned out and over $15000 of damage was caused
in battles with the police when bricks and paint were thrown.

McDonald's are so worried about their image in the Czech republic
that in October 1994 they pulled a publicity stunt inviting
journalists and activists including animal rights group Animal SOS
to inspect stores and meat processing plants.

Contact: Hnuti Duha Brno, Jakuska nam 7, 602 00 Brno, Czech
Republic and Hnuti Duha Plzen, Skolni 309, 330 08 Zruc, Czech
Republic.

POLAND - Architectural professor, Stanislav Juchnowitz is amongst
campaigners and residents trying to stop McDonald's opening a new
store in Cracow, Poland. He said "The activities of this firm are
symbolic of mass industrial civilization and a superficial
cosmopolitan way of life". McDonald's already has 13 stores in
Poland, but so far have been refused permission to open the store
in Cracow's historic main square. [New York Times International 23
May 1994].  Actions against McDonald's also took place in Warsaw,
Gdansk and Wroclaw on 4th July [US Independence Day].  McDonald's
are seen as a symbol and front runners for unwelcome Western
capitalism.

Contact: Green Brigade in Poland regarding nationwide protest.


HUNGARY - Anti McDonald's articles appear regularly in  green
publications, forcing correspondence from the chief manager of
McDonalds in Hungary.  In the town of Pecs a group of young
anarchists are protesting against the building of two McDonald's
stores.

CROATIA -  A local group is being set up in Zagreb to organize
against three McDonald's which are opening in the city. McLibel
Support Campaign was told "You have really big support here
because people are against all multinational corporations, and
there are more and more vegetarians and vegans every day".

Contact: All mail will be forwarded to our contact in Croatia.


AUSTRALIA - At the Townsville Eco Fiesta, Queensland, in July 1994
singer Peter Garrett from rock band Midnight Oil gave an
anti-McDonald's speech and leaflets were handed out.

Benefit gigs to raise funds for the court case in London have been
held in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide - a recorded tape
will be available soon to raise further funds.

The Operation Send it Back campaign has been active in Australia
and there is a lively McLibel Support Campaign at PO Box 558,
South Birsbane, 4101, Australia.

AOTEAROA [NEW ZEALAND] -  McDonald's environmental image was
revealed to be a sham, and customers being conned when it was
discovered that rubbish which customers were asked to put into
separated recycling bins throughout New Zealand stores was sent to
the tip. A McDonald's head office spokeswoman said all regional
restaurants would install notices informing people that recycling
has ended. [Wellington Evening Post, 24 November 1994].

In June 1994 a McLibel Support Campaign was set up to organize
protests and raise money for the London court case. Protests
received widespread publicity.  On 16 October, protests against
McDonald's took place in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and
Christchurch.

Contact: McLibel Support Campaign, PO Box 14-156, Kilbirnie,
Wellington, Aotearoa/N.Z.  They also have a contact in SINGAPORE
to whom they can forward mail.

HONG KONG - Protests included fly posting on 16 October.

ISRAEL - On 14 October leaflets in Hebrew were handed out by
animal rights organization Anonymous and the Anarchist Federation,
and twelve people were arrested for chaining themselves to the
entrance of McDonald's on the opening day of McDonald's in
Israel.

INDIA

The India branch of Beauty Without Cruelty have produced an anti
McDonald's leaflet and are trying to stop McDonald's entering
India.

Contact: Beauty Without Cruelty, 4 Prince of Wales' Drive,
Wanowrie, Poona 411 010, India.

CANADA - In Ontario during a long running trade union dispute,
McDonald's reacted using highly controversial methods including
getting employees to lie in the snow in the shape of the letters
"NO" (to trade unions). The main trade union activist working at
the store will be giving evidence at the  London trial in 1995.


USA - On 4 March 1994 forty vegans held their 4th protest at the
Berkeley branch of McDonald's in San Francisco.  

In Philadelphia the Wages for Housework Campaign held a picket
outside McDonald's to show their support for the McLibel Two, and
had a "teach-in" about McDonald's and the London trial. 

There was leafleting in many cities on Anti McDonald's day including 
New York City.

Contacts: McLibel Support Campaign, PO Box 120, East Calais, VT
05650.

Wages for Housework Campaign, PO Box 11795, Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania 19101.

MEXICO - In Autumn 1994 in Mexico City 40 people, protesting at
California's new anti immigrant referendum caused considerable damage
to a McDonald's, seeing the company as a symbol of US imperialism.

PHILIPPINES - A delegation of  community activists attended the
picket of the London court in September. Letters of support have
been received from people concerned at the effects of McDonald's
on local culture, diet and economy.

Campaign Statement: The McLibel Support Campaign was set up to
generate solidarity and financial backing for the McLibel
Defendants, who are not themselves responsible for Campaign
publicity. The Campaign is also supportive of, but independent
from, general, worldwide, grassroots anti-McDonalds activities and
protests.


