Newcastle anti-McDonalds report
geordie cong loves 'why don't you?' | 17.10.2003 10:53 | Animal Liberation
A really quite inspiring anti-mcdonalds action took place on the main shopping street in Newcastle upon Tyneside, featuring a crowd of 50-plus people! Free organic potatoes and apple pie was given out, along with the usual banners, leaflets, and speech bubbles on the window ( 'yum yum, mcslurry' ). Such a big crowd gathered that the police decided to arrest one man for obstruction of the highway - and nick all the potatoes! Loads of support and conversations were had with interested joe public.
Curious passers-by were asking us what we had against McDonalds, and some excellent conservations were had. It's only when you make a public show like this that you realize how many people hate mcdonalds - including harassed parents coming out of the place, saying 'it's time you kids stood up and did something about all this!'
A big litter sculpture was the main draw for the crowd, all made up of mcdonalds waste. After about an hour the poor maccy dee's staff came out and bagged it up, to cheers.
This may sound like just another demo report, but for those who experienced it I think it was quite special, just for the quality of interaction and dialogue going on with all kinds of people, with all kinds of views. Everyone had a reaction - everyone took at least a moment to think, and for a brief two hours the shopping precinct felt like a real site of social interaction. So nice one everyone who took part! And I mean everyone. I only popped by for a free spud but I ended up staying, cos the crowd experience was so fun.
{ Actually no, I don't mean quite everyone because the police are never welcome in a social situation. The valiant corporate protectors dispersed the crowd, and gave one man a caution for obstructing the highway ).
Original ad for the demo:
Join the ...
MCRUBBISH PROTEST
On Thursday, 16th October
Meet at the Monument, Newcastle, 5pm
You are cordially invited to join Newcastle's "McRubbish" protest.
Thursday is UN World Food Day and International Anti-McDonalds Day.
To mark the occasion, local activists are planning to distribute
free, locally produced organic food amid a gigantic display of
McDonald's ubiquitous discarded "food" containers. Come along and
join our jolly protest against the fast food junk culture. It's
rubbish!
A big litter sculpture was the main draw for the crowd, all made up of mcdonalds waste. After about an hour the poor maccy dee's staff came out and bagged it up, to cheers.
This may sound like just another demo report, but for those who experienced it I think it was quite special, just for the quality of interaction and dialogue going on with all kinds of people, with all kinds of views. Everyone had a reaction - everyone took at least a moment to think, and for a brief two hours the shopping precinct felt like a real site of social interaction. So nice one everyone who took part! And I mean everyone. I only popped by for a free spud but I ended up staying, cos the crowd experience was so fun.
{ Actually no, I don't mean quite everyone because the police are never welcome in a social situation. The valiant corporate protectors dispersed the crowd, and gave one man a caution for obstructing the highway ).
Original ad for the demo:
Join the ...
MCRUBBISH PROTEST
On Thursday, 16th October
Meet at the Monument, Newcastle, 5pm
You are cordially invited to join Newcastle's "McRubbish" protest.
Thursday is UN World Food Day and International Anti-McDonalds Day.
To mark the occasion, local activists are planning to distribute
free, locally produced organic food amid a gigantic display of
McDonald's ubiquitous discarded "food" containers. Come along and
join our jolly protest against the fast food junk culture. It's
rubbish!
geordie cong loves 'why don't you?'
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
'Meet at Burger King'
18.10.2003 01:40
Unfortunately, most of the 'protesters' in Northumberland St seemed to be affluent, middle class students.
The McScum staff who work for a living and get paid peanuts for dirty, smelly, repetitive work, must have been delighted to see the spoilt offspring of their bourgeois masters lording it over them and prancing around, making sculptures out of rubbish.
Lets face it, the McDonalds suits couldn't give a flying fuck about your protest, and none of you have the balls to take them on rather than attacking the staff, the majority of whom work there because there aren't many other options round here.
Coming for a sun dried tomato and goat's cheese foccacia after the McRubbish protest, Cynthia? Certainly, Rupert, jolly good idea. Wasn't that a chortle, eh?
I reckon I know who you are, incidentally, if you're the person who was putting the flyers up and hiding/attacking passers-by near Pilgrim Street.
Quentin Fotherington-Smythe
Quentin Fotherington-Smythe - Where were you?
18.10.2003 22:38
DoubleCurious