In Orange County a bus driver was sacked for refusing to hand out coupons promoting Carls's Jr hamburger "restaurants". Thirty eight year old Bruce Anderson said, "I told them that I don't eat dead cows and no one else needs to either." Bruce is a member of animal rights organisation Orange County for Animals who are backing his stand against the bus company.
On the 24th of May McLibel supporters protested outside McDonald's chicago headquarters where the annual shareholders meeting was held. An article in the Oak Brook Press desribes the protest.
The 75 million dollar launch of the new Arch Deluxe "grown up burger" was a flop despite a massive media blitz. News coverage of the event in New York showed a VivaVegie activist with a banner saying "Arch Deluxe, Arch Stupidity, Artery Clogging Hamburger". In Hollywood McDonald's turned a movie house into a giant deathburger to promote the launch of their new "product." After consulting with McDonald's management security guards assaulted the Hollywood protesters who now plan to press charges for assault and battery against the company. Click here for more details of the day's events.
The Navy Pier is a pier and convention centre owned by the City of Chicago. McDonald's has put a lot of money into creating a public area, including the installation of a ferris wheel, with many McDonald's symbols around. Five McLibel campaigners disputed the official ribbon cutting ceremony, attended by Ronald McDonald and performed by the President of McDonald's Franchise Owners' Association. As the President got up to speak, the campaigners shouted about McDonald's marketing of unhealthy food to children. At the time, about 200 children were waiting in line to go onto the ferris wheel. The campaigners also handed out leaflets and displayed placards.
In Port Washington McDonald's is trying to open a store which, accoring to their own study, would nearly double the level of traffic on the area's main arteries. Residents have shown that the land where the store is to be built is contaminated with a chemical which is known to affect the central nervous system.
On the day of the Great American Meatout animal rights activists blocked the entrance of a drive-thru in California with the corpse of a cow. Signs held next to the body said, 'Here's your lunch' and 'Still hungry.'
In March Anti-McDonald's campaigners in Montpelier, Vermont made national news as CBS described their determined campaign to keep the corporation out of the town.
In January McDonald's threatened legal action against Vegan Action because of their McVegan campaign which subverted the company logo. The company backed down after the group refused to apologise. This case is one of many other McLibels.
In January, slogans were daubed on a McDonald's store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On March 22nd Reggie McVeggie, Ronald's more helath-conscious cousin, made his debut at a no-meat food stand on the UC Berkeley campus. Reggie persuaded passers by to sample free vegan food. The event was covered by the Oakland Tribune. Several months prior to this, a 1,200 signature petition led to Berkeley being the largest campus to offer vegan options at all meals.
Helen Steel and Dave Morris, the Defendants in the McDonald's libel trial, were flown over by their US supporters to join an anti-birthday event outside the first store opened by the McDonald's Corporation, in Des Plaines, Illinois (near Chicago). About 40 demonstrators marched in a circle by the first store (now a museum), shouting slogans and carrying placards informing passers-by of McDonald's exploitation of people, animals and the environment. McDonald's cancelled special plans to open the museum on that day, effectively abandoning any anniversary celebrations. Beforehand, the protesters picketted a McDonald's in downtown Chicago and held a press conference at which Helen and Dave smashed a big birthday cake bedecked with 40 candles. "With this day of protests, people are passing judgment on 40 years of junk food, junk jobs, and the discarded mountains of just plain junk," Dave said. UPI and Reuters newsagencies reported the event as well as local media in Chicago. A filmcrew from Australia were taking pictures to incorporate in a 15 minute documentary being made for a current affairs programme in Australia. And another filmcrew also filmed the events for a documentary to be made in the UK.
Huntingdon Beach, California - Militant animal rights activists blocked the drive-thru lane at a McDonald's restaurant on Sunday, October 1st, with the corpse of a dead cow. The direct action, sponsored by Orange County People for Animals conicided with national demonstrations on "World Farm Animals Day" and was intended to make everyone see "the behind-the-scenes reality of the real source of those hamburgers." The corpse was obtained from a local farm, where members of the group had witnessed the death of a number of calves from pneumonia.
On the 11th World anti-McDonald's day there were many protests in the USA including:- Chicago, State College (Pennsylvannia), Denver and Boulder (Colorado), Huntington Beach (California), and Ashedille (North Carolina).
Rock 'N' Roll McDonald's, Chicago - the demonstrators were demanding that the life-size statues of the Beatles in this outlet be removed on the grounds that Paul & Linda McCartney have donated money to the McLibel Campaign, and that both Paul McCartney and George Harrison are vegetarians.
On 4 March forty vegans held their 4th protest at the Berkeley branch of McDonald's in San Francisco.
In Philadelphia the Wages for Housework Campaign held a picket outside McDonald's to show their support for the McLibel Two, and had a "teach-in" about McDonald's and the London trial.
There was leafleting in many cities on Anti McDonald's day including New York City.
During 1993 the beyond beef coalition organised their 'Adopt-a-McDonald's' campaign. Teams of 4 were recruited throughout North America, each targetting a different store. The campaign produced extensive research materials and leaflets condemning "cattle culture" . On the April 17th action day over 1,500,000 leaflets and children's coloring books were handed out at over 3000 McDonald's stores.
In Phoenix the kidnapping of a lifesize Ronald McDonald statue ended when the clown was found burning in the desert. The 300 pound statue, stolen on June 16th from a McDonald's in Mesa was found by a sheriff's helicopter crew that night. In a phone call claiming responsibility, a man said the robbery was an attempt to get the corporation to offer better food for vegetarians. Story from the San Jose Mercury News. Another Ronald effigy met a similar fate in China recently.
The McToxics campaign targetted McDonald's use of wasteful styrofoam packaging. Thousands of stores were picketted and send-it-back campaigns returned rubbish to the company HQ in Chicago. After 4 years the campaigners were victorious - the company capitulated.
There have been a number of union struggles in the USA:-
