THE McLIBEL TRIAL

Making Mincemeat of McDonald's

It's "the best free entertainment in London", according to the Daily Telegraph. And it's already by far the longest civil case in British history. This is the 'McLibel' Trial, the mammoth legal battle between the $30 billion a year McDonald's Corporation and two campaigners (Helen Steel and Dave Morris).

The fast-food giant is suing them for libel over a 6-page Factsheet produced by London Greenpeace entitled "What's Wrong With McDonald's?". Since there is no right to Legal Aid in libel cases, Helen and Dave are representing themselves against McDonald's top team of libel lawyers. The Trial began in June 1994 and is set to run until early 1997.

The case has backfired for McDonald's. For perhaps the first time in history, a multinational corporation has effectively been put on trial over its business practices - promotion of junk food, exploitation of workers and animals, advertising to children, and damage to the environment. Despite the unfairness of the battle and the oppressive libel laws, and the Defendants' exhaustion, the general feeling of observers is that McDonald's critics have been completely vindicated by the evidence during the trial. Meanwhile, the grassroots movement against McDonald's and other fast-food chains is growing in strength across the globe.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EVIDENCE
David Green, Senior VicePresident of Marketing (USA), stated 'McDonald's food is nutritious' and 'healthy'. When asked what the company meant by 'nutritious' he said: 'provides nutrients and can be a part of a healthy balanced diet'. He admitted this could also apply to candy. When asked if Coca Cola is 'nutritious' he replied that it is 'providing water, and I think that is part of a balanced diet'. In fact, an internal company memo (read out in court) sets out McDonald's position in black and white: "We don't sell nutrition and people don't come to McDonald's for nutrition."

McDonald's distributed 'McFact' cards throughout the UK publicising a scheme to recycle polystyrene waste from four stores, where customers were asked to put polystyrene into such things as plant pots and coat hangers". Ed Oakley (Chief Purchasing Of ficer for McDonald's UK) admitted that the compa- ny had not recycled any of the waste and in fact the polystyrene was "dumped".

Giving evidence about Costa Rica, Ray Cesca (McDonald's Director of Global Purchasing) said "McDonald's opened the first of its restaurants in Costa Rica in December 1970 and that the meat supplied to them since that time "comes from ranches in areas which were deforested in the 1950's and early 1960's."

Mr Nicholson, McDonald's UK Vice President, said the company was not anti-union and all staffhad a right to join one. But under questioning he admitted that any McDonald's workers interested in union membership "would not be allowed to collect subscriptions... put up notices... pass out any leaflets... to organise a meeting for Staff to discuss conditions at the store on the premises"...or "to infomn the union about conditions inside the stores (which would be deemed 'Gross Misconduct' and as such a 'summary sackable offence').

Dr Neville Gregory (McDonald's expert witness) said McDonald's egg suppliers keep chickens in banery cages, 5 chickens to a cay, with less than the size of an A4 sheet of pape' per bird and with no freedom of movement ar no access to fresh air or sunshine Ed Oakley of McDonald's said the company had though' about switching to free range eggs, but, not only are battery eggs "50% cheaper", but, he claimed "hens kept in batteries are better care for". He said he thinks battery cages are "pre ty comfortable !

LEAFLET CIRCULATING IN INCREASING NUMBERS
It's clear that McDonald's efforts to intimidate and silence its critics have completely backfired. Over 1.5 million"What's Wrong With McDonald's?" leaflets have been handed out to the public in the UK alone since the action was started, and thousands of people have pledged to continue circulating the leaflets whatever the judgment. Protests and campaigns against McDonald's continue in over 24 countries. October t6th this year will be the 1 2th Worldwide Day of Action against the company. And now there is an Intemet site called 'McSpotlight', an on-line library and campaigning tool, which makes available across the globe everything that McDonald's don't want the public to know (http://www.mcspotlight.org/).

Please send donations andIor requests for information to: McLibel Support Campaign 5 Caledonian Road London N1 9DX, UK Tel/Fax 0171713 1269 dbriars~world.std.com (Cbeques to 'McLibel Support Campaign McSpotlight World-Wide Website - http:/twww.mcspotlight.orgt