1. ->In 1990, Helen Steel and Dave Morris, two activists with London Greenpeace distributed this leaflet. McDonald’s caught wind of it, sent spies to infiltrate
odds, that pushed them beyond exhaustion as they challenged libel laws stacked in favor of McDonald’s. The trial that lased 314 days with a 23 day appeal >
McDonald’s?
What’s Wrong With
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lions of animals. Most are intensively ticated marketing campaigns. Yet,
their organization and sued them for libel.McDonald’s offered them a stark choice: retract the allegations made in the
resulting in a mixed verdict. After spending an estimated $20 million in legal fees, McDonald’s was awarded
themselves with only two hours of legal counsel. Over the next three years in court, Steel and Morris faced insurmountable
farmed, with no access to fresh air and despite its strenuous, feel-good market-
sunshine, and no freedom of movement. ing efforts, McDonald’s is widely
Their short lives are cruel and their despised, and its ‘reputation’ and that of
deaths are barbaric - ‘humane slaughter’ the fast food industry in general - contin-
is a myth. We have the choice to eat ues to sink.
meat or not, but the billions of animals
slaughtered for food each year have no Every year, on Oct. 16, there is the
McDonald’s spends over US $2 billion worldwide every year on advertising choice at all. World Day of Action against McDonald’s
and promotions, trying to cultivate an image of being a ‘caring’ and ‘green’ and all they stand for - with pickets and
ROBBING THE POOR demonstrations occurring all over the
company that is also a fun place to eat. Children are lured in - dragging their
The demands made by multinationals for world. Together we can fight back
parents behind them - with the promise of toys and other gimmicks. But cheap food supplies result in the against the institutions, which currently
behind the smiling face of Ronald McDonald lies the reality: McDonald’s only exploitation of agricultural workers control our lives and our planet, and we
throughout the world. Vast areas of land can create a better society without
interest is in making profits from whoever and whatever they can, just like all in poor countries are used for cash crops exploitation or oppression. Workers can
multinationals. The company’s sales are $40 billion a year. The continual or for cattle ranching, or to grow grain to and do organize together to fight for their
worldwide expansion of fast food chains means more uniformity, less choice feed animals eaten in the West. This is rights and dignity. People are increasing-
at the expense of local food needs. ly aware of the need to think seriously
and the undermining of local communities. McDonald’s continues to promote meat about the food our children and we eat.
hurt their right to a fair trail. In February the court sided with the activists.
products, encouraging people to eat Environmental and animal rights protests
PROMOTING UNHEALTHY FOOD compelled to ‘smile’ too! Not surprisingly, meat more often, which wastes more and campaigns are growing everywhere.
McDonald’s promote their food as ‘nutri- staff turnover at McDonald’s is high, food resources. Seven million tons of People in poor countries are organizing
tious,’ but the reality is that it is making it virtually impossible to unionize grain fed to livestock produces only one themselves to stand up to multinationals
processed junk food - high in fat, sugar and fight for a better deal. This suits million tons of meat and by-products. On and banks, which dominate the world’s
and salt, and low in fiber and vitamins. A McDonald’s who have always been a plant-based diet and with land shared economy.
diet of this type is linked to greater risk opposed to workers’ rights and fairly, almost every region could be self-
for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and Unions. Pay and conditions are even sufficient in food. Why not join in the struggle for a
other diseases. The food also contains worse for the workers toiling in sweat- better world?
many chemical additives, some of which shops in China to produce McDonald’s WHAT YOU CAN DO
may cause ill health and hyperactivity in ‘happy meal’ toys. Talk to friends, family, neighbors and
Food is central to our everyday lives, yet
children. Modern intensive farming and workmates about these issues. Please
we have virtually no control over its pro-
production methods are geared to maxi- DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT duction and distribution. The way we eat copy and circulate this leaflet as widely
mizing profits, resulting in the wide- Every year McDonald’s uses over a mil- and think about food is being manipulat- as you can.
spread use of chemicals and unhealthy lion tons of unnecessary plastic and ed by these powerful institutions’ sophis-
practices which also affect people’s paper packaging, the production of
health (e.g. BSE and food poisoning). which requires environmentally damag-
Coming To US Theatres!
ing chemicals and degradation of
EXPLOITING WORKERS forests. Most of the packaging ends up
Workers in the fast food industry are littering our streets or polluting the land June 10 - San Francisco - Landmark Lumiere 3
paid low wages. Pressure to keep profits buried in landfill sites. The heavy use of June 17 - Minneapolis - Bell Auditorium
high and wage costs low results in chemicals in modern agriculture and the June 24 - Seattle -The Varsity (Landmark)
understaffing, so staffs have to work effluent created by intensive farming June 24 - Portland - Clinton Street Theatre
harder and faster. As a consequence, causes pollution of land and water,
accidents (particularly burns) are com- harming wildlife, plants and the soil. www.mclibelthemovie.com
mon. The majority of employees are
people who have few job options and so CAUSING CRUELTY TO ANIMALS
LEAFLET your local McDonald’s!
have no alternative to being bossed The menus of the burger chains are
Join our yahoo group: McLibel-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
around and exploited - and they’re based on the torture and murder of mil-
£40,000. In 2004, Steel and Morris took an action against the U.K. government in the Court of Human Rights, claiming that a lack of access to legal aid
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leaflet and apologize, or go to court. Steel and Morris refused to apologize and decided to stand up to the burger giant. They went to trial and defended
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