Indymedia Cambridge, UK | Free Food, not Free Trade!

Camera boy | 06.05.2006 17:38 | Globalisation | Cambridge

Today No Chains pitched up outside a well known no-union fast food emporium on Mill Road and gave away free food (and advice) to prospective customers.

Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch!?

A chain gets some competition...

Pitched up and ready to go!

Councillor Kevin Blencowe inspects the food on offer.

You are now a Radio star!

Lots of satisfied, interested punters!

Doing the good hustle...

Free Food and Free Speech!

Yum yum! Free food!

This is to be the start of campaign to try and stop Mill road ending up looking like the rest of the city centre - and many others around the country - full of corporate franchises, as opposed to local businesses which keep the money in their community rather than exporting it from their host city for their CEOs' and shareholders' benefit only as multinationals do.

There was much interest from local residents, with 209radio coming along to interview activists and passersby, as well as the action getting the support of Labour councillor Kevin Blencowe, whom professes to be Old Labour!

One member of the Constabulary came along to investigate, but was happy for the action to continue as there was no major disruption to locals taking place, although Subway may beg to differ!

Many people helped themselves to the free homemade vegan snacks on offer, and signed the No Chains petitions, so all tolled a very successful start to what many hope will be a fruitful campaign.

No pun intended.

Camera boy

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09.05.2006 12:42

just wondered whether
you'd been in touch with some folk in Newham, in east London, who are
fighting a similar campaign with some success, against a borough council
pushing through a grand new 'redevelopment' scheme in a local market which
will see dozens of market traders lose their stalls, and a spanking new
Asda installed instead.

They've got a really well-resourced campaign - see

http://www.friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk/

Could it be useful to share some experiences and tactics with them?

They've also used the New Economics Foundation's excellent report 'Clone
Town Britain', released last June:

http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/news_clonetownbritainresults.aspx

It deals with the growth of chain-stores and homogenised town centres, and
draws on successful examples of resistance in the US, like:

- The 'Keep Louisville weird' campaign
- Local bans on 'formula' business, defined as businesses that adopt standardised services, methods of operation, decor, uniforms, architecture, or other features virtually identical to businesses elsewhere
- prospective New York legislation that would require any large retailer with more than 85,000sq feet to face a licensing review that would force them to specify their impact on the community.

Indymedia Cambridge

Free Food, not Free Trade!

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