1. the use of farmland by multinationals and world-wide criticism by threatening legal
their suppliers forces local people to action against those who speak out. Many
What’s Wrong move on to other areas and cut down
further trees.
have been forced to back down because
they lacked the money to fight a case. But
McDonald’s are the world’s largest user of Helen Steel and Dave Morris, two support-
With beef. Methane emitted by cattle reared
for the beef industry is a major contributor
ers of London Greenpeace, defended
themselves in a major UK High Court libel
to the ‘global warming’ crisis. Modern trial. No legal aid is available so they
McDonald’s? intensive agriculture is based on the
heavy use of chemicals which are damag-
represented themselves. McDonald’s
engaged in a huge cover up, refusing to
ing to the environment. disclose masses of relevant documents.
Every year McDonald’s use thousands of Also, the defendants were denied their right
McDonald’s spend over $1.8 billion every year worldwide on advertising and promo- tons of unnecessary packaging, most of to a jury. Despite all the cards being
tions, trying to cultivate an image of being a ‘caring’ and ‘green’ company that is also a which ends up littering our streets or stacked against them, Helen and Dave
fun place to eat. Children are lured in (dragging their parents behind them) with the polluting the land buried in landfill sites. turned the tables and exposed the truth by
promise of toys and other gimmicks. But behind the smiling face of Ronald McDonald putting McDonald’s business practices on
lies the reality - McDonald’s only interest is money, making profits from whoever and MURDERING ANIMALS trial. Protests against the $30 billion a year
whatever they can, just like all multinational companies. McDonald’s Annual Reports The menus of the burger chains are fast-food giant continue to grow. It’s vital to
talk of ‘Global Domination’ - they aim to open more and more stores across the globe - based on the torture and murder of stand up to intimidation and to defend free
but their continual worldwide expansion means more uniformity, less choice and the millions of animals. Most are intensively speech.
undermining of local communities. farmed, with no access to fresh air and
PROMOTING UNHEALTHY FOOD have few job options and so are forced to sunshine, and no freedom of movement. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Together we can
McDonald’s promote their food as ‘nutri- accept this exploitation, and they’re Their deaths are barbaric - ‘humane fight back against the institutions and the
tious’, but the reality is that it is junk food - compelled to ‘smile’ too! Not surprisingly slaughter’ is a myth. We have the choice people in power who dominate our lives
high in fat, sugar and salt, and low in fibre staff turnover at McDonald’s is high, to eat meat or not, but the billions of and our planet, and we can create a better
and vitamins. A diet of this type is linked making it virtually impossible to unionise animals massacred for food each year society without exploitation. Workers can
with a greater risk of heart disease, and fight for a better deal, which suits have no choice at all. and do organise together to fight for their
cancer, diabetes and other diseases. McDonald’s who have always been rights and dignity. People are increasingly
Their food also contains many chemical opposed to Unions. CENSORSHIP and McLIBEL aware of the need to think seriously about
additives, some of which may cause ill- Criticism of McDonald’s has come from a the food we and our children eat. People in
health, and hyperactivity in children. Don’t ROBBING THE POOR huge number of people and organisations poor countries are organising themselves
forget too that meat is the cause of the Vast areas of land in poor countries are over a wide range of issues. In the mid- to stand up to multinationals and banks
majority of food poisoning incidents. In used for cash crops or for cattle ranching, 1980’s, London Greenpeace drew to- which dominate the world’s economy.
1991 McDonald’s were responsible for an or to grow grain to feed animals to be gether many of those strands of criticism Environmental and animal rights protests
outbreak of food poisoning in the UK, in eaten in the West. This is at the expense and called for an annual World Day of and campaigns are growing everywhere.
which people suffered serious kidney of local food needs. McDonald’s continu- Action against McDonald’s. This takes Why not join in the struggle for a better
failure. With modern intensive farming ally promote meat products, encouraging place every year on 16th October, with world. Talk to friends and family, neigh-
methods, other diseases - linked to people to eat meat more often, which pickets and demonstrations all over the bours and workmates about these issues.
chemical residues or unnatural practices - wastes more and more food resources. 7 world. Please copy and circulate this leaflet as
have become a danger to people too million tons of grain fed to livestock McDonald’s, who spend a fortune every widely as you can.
(such as BSE). produces only 1 million tons of meat and year on advertising, are trying to silence
by-products. On a plant-based diet and
EXPLOITING WORKERS with land shared fairly, almost every region LEAFLET your LOCAL McDONALD’S - leaflets $5 per 100, $12.50 PER 500, $15 PER 1000
Workers in the fast food industry are paid could be self-sufficient in food. from US McLibel Support Campaign, details below.
low wages. McDonald’s do not pay
overtime rates even when employees work DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT Please send me more information I enclose $______ donation to the campaign
very long hours. Pressure to keep profits Forests throughout the world - vital for all
high and wage costs low results in life - are being destroyed at an appalling Name______________________ Address____________________________________
understaffing, so staff have to work harder rate by multinational companies.
and faster. As a consequence, accidents McDonald’s have at last been forced to US McLibel Support Campaign, PO Box 62, Craftsbury, VT 05826-0062, USA.
(particularly burns) are common. The admit to using beef reared on ex-rainforest Tel 1-802-586-9628. E-mail and listserve: dbriars@world.std.com
majority of employees are people who land, preventing its regeneration. Also, Independent Internet info at http://www.mcspotlight.org/