5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, UK. Tel/ Fax: +44 (0)171 713 1269
E-mail & Listserver: dbriars@world.std.com
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Like in any campaign or struggle, by organising and coordinating information
and publicity, and strengthening networks of resistance, campaigners ensure
that the tables are turned on those who try to shut them up. McDonalds aim
of suppressing activity has only served to futher anger and strengthen the
determination of their critics. This has resulted in ever growing
publicity, the dissemination of detailed information about McDonald's
business practices, and in a constantly increasing circulation of
anti-McDonald's leaflets worldwide (2 million handed out to the public in
the UK alone since the writs were served). As thousands of people have pledged to continue to do this whatever
the trial verdict, it is clear that the leafletting is unstoppable and that
McDonald's have been beaten.
PHOTO: March Against McDonald's, London 16th October 1994
⌐ Nick Cobbing
MSC is calling for an international "Victory Day of Action" on the Saturday after the Judge has delivered his personal 'verdict' (expected in April or May 1997, or possibly later). In the UK, it is hoped that a majority of McDonald's 750 stores will be leafletted on that day. If you live in the UK, please assist in the coordinated leafletting on the day of action by adopting your local store. Contact MSC for an "Adopt-a-Store" form to complete.
MSC receives donations and support from a wide range of groups and
individuals: trade unionists, environmentalists, people concerned about
animal welfare/rights, people concerned about diet and nutrition, present
and former McDonald's employees, etc. Some people are concerned and
knowledgable about all the issues in the case, but one of the great aspects
of MSC is the spread of ideas and information that takes place: for example,
by coming into contact with the Campaign, some trade unionists learn more
about environmental issues and animal welfare, and some animal rights
activists learn more about poor working conditions and worker organisation.
Linda McCartney gave the Campaign a donation of ú1,000 and there are some
other well-known people supporting the Campaign, but the vast majority of
support and donations comes from ordinary members of the public. The
messages of support are a great morale boost for Helen and Dave.
(2) The official daily court transcripts. Since July 1995, the Defendants were forced to pay the full commercial cost to the transcript company to obtain the essential transcripts.
(3) Other legal costs - photocopying, phone calls to witnesses etc.
(By the end of 1996, approx ú35,000 had been spent on these three areas of legal expenses over the 6 years since the writs were served. This is how much McDonald's was spending on the case in a few days!).
(4) The expenses of printing and distributing the Campaign leaflets and other materials.
(5) Administration costs. This includes the costs of sending out mailings to supporters and regular press releases.
MSC continues campaigning against
McDonald's. For example, MSC organised a protest at the opening of a
McDonald's store in Kings Cross,
London in December 1995, and every year on 16th October (World Day of Action
Against McDonald's) along with London Greenpeace organises a demonstration
outside McDonald's European Headquarters. MSC provides support and
encouragement to other independent campaigns/campaigners against McDonald's
and produces summaries of the actions around the world that it hears about,
such as "International Round-Up 1994",
"40 Years of McGarbage - Anti-Birthday
Events", "Seven Days That Shook The
Corporation", and "Ten Days That Shook The Corporation".
The original London Greenpeace Factsheet was designed to highlight the problems caused by multinationals and the fast food industry as a whole by focussing on McDonald's. The Factsheet says "What is wrong with McDonald's is also wrong with all the junk-food chains like Kentucky Fried Chicken, Wendy's, etc. All of them hide their ruthless exploitation of resources, animals and people behind a facade of colourful gimmicks and 'family fun'." MSC has not lost sight of this critique of multinationals and the exploitative system we live in as a whole. In October 1995, MSC organised an "Anti-Corporations Fayre" open to the public, bringing together groups and individuals campaigning against companies and corporations, to share tactics and experiences in fighting corporations, and to discuss alternatives to them. In November 1995, MSC organised a demonstration jointly with Baby Milk Action (campaigning against Nestle) and supporters of Earth First! at Management Summit '95, a prestigious conference where top executives from Nestle, McDonalds and other companies were speaking on helping companies "dominate existing markets and win in and create tomorrow's markets".
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McLibel Support Campaign and send to .. |
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McLibel Support Campaign 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DX, UK |
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Account name: McLibel Support Campaign Account No: 0242/702 940 907 Sort Code: 07-00-93 Identification: 333 333 34 | |
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Many messages of support and donations from trade union branches have been sent to the campaign. The MSC has produced a bulletin for circulation throughout the labour movement - if you are a member of a union branch or other labour group please show the bulletin to its members.
Many thanks to all the people who have sent messages of support and donations to MSC over the years.
Support groups have organised benefit gigs and protests in solidarity with the McLibel Defendants and have distributed information about the trial to the press and public. There are a number of McLibel support groups around the world to whom requests for information and donations (in local currencies) can be sent:
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Internet Email List
Server
McLibel Support Campaign (New
Zealand/Aotearoa)
McLibel Support Campaign ( Canada
and USA)
McLibel Support Campaign (Australia)
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McCalumnia Apoyo (Spain and Portugal) El Lokal C/ de la Cera 1 bis 08001 Barcelona Spain
McLibel Support Campaign (Ireland)
Campaign Against McDonald's (Scotland)
McDonald's Boikotten (Norway)
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