Day 273 - 03 Jul 96 - Page 09

     
     1        Have you got that one?
     2        A.   Yes, I have.
     3
     4   Q.   "There have been a number of developments in the campaign.
     5        At the moment we are in the process of revising the fact
     6        sheet to take account of these developments.  In the
     7        meantime, we are issuing a small booklet entitled
     8        'McDonald's, an Update'."
     9
    10        Did that update ever appear?
    11        A.  No.
    12
    13   Q.   "In which we will briefly explain the new circumstances
    14        that have arisen."
    15
    16        What were the new circumstances that had arisen by this
    17        date?  This presumably is late 1990, is it, or middle 1990,
    18        this document?
    19        A.  Yes, it was written for October 1990, yes.
    20
    Q.   What were the new circumstances that had arisen by that
    22        date?
    23        A.   Well, I would say more evidence of McDonald's
    24        activities.
    25
    26   Q.   Let me read on and see if that may not be wrong:
    27
    28        "We get many enquiries from groups and individuals who are
    29        unsure about just what is and is not true about
    30        McDonald's.  There are so many rumours flying around and we
    31        hope this will go some way to setting the record straight."
    32
    33        What sort of rumours are you thinking of there?
    34        A.   Well, at that time McDonald's were engaged in
    35        launching a heavy advertising campaign, trying to promote a
    36        green image, saying that they were not in any way connected
    37        with rainforest destruction, they were using recycled
    38        paper, etc.  They were called "McFact Cards", I believe.
    39        They were also threatening legal action against many
    40        different organisations and forcing these organisations to
         apologise and printing more or less what McDonald's wanted
    42        them to say.
    43
    44        Now, as a result of this, there was some confusion around.
    45        Now, I thought, and I mean "I", because when I say "we" in
    46        this leaflet, I really mean "I", I thought that there was
    47        evidence, new evidence, of implicating McDonald's in
    48        practices such as destruction of rainforest, and I meant by
    49        that the film "Jungleburger".
    50
    51   Q.   The film "Jungleburger", you made quite a lot of use of
    52        that, did you not, in your various anti-McDonald's roles?
    53        Did you not, Mr. Gravett?
    54        A.   Yes, yes, I did at the time.
    55
    56   Q.   The film "Jungleburger" did not allege, did it, that
    57        McDonald's owned large tracts of land in rainforest
    58        countries or that McDonald's destroyed rainforests using
    59        deadly poison, did it?
    60        A.   It did not use those precise words, no, but there was