> Subject: Ronald McDonald Burned in Effigy at McDonalds Protest > Date: Sat, 21 Feb 1998 > From: Aaron Koleszar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: > Ronald McDonald Burned in Effigy at McDonalds Protest > > CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI - At 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, six members of > Island Residents Against Toxic Environments (IRATE) gathered outside of the > new McDonalds restaurant in Charlottetown, PEI. The event was the Grand > Opening for the new building, and Ronald McDonald was in attendance for the > ribbon cutting ceremony and to play with the children. The protest > culminated with a 5-foot tall Ronald McDonald lookalike being set afire as > the "real" Ronald was getting into his van. > > When the activists arrived, they set up the homemade Ronald, then > proceeded to distribute leaflets to bystanders and the customers inside the > store. The leaflets were about what's wrong with McDonalds, how Ronald lies > to children, the global impacts of eating meat, and the condom found in a > McDonalds burger in the USA. The protesters also carried placards with > slogans like "McGreedy," "McLies," "Anti-union," "McGrease," and > "McSlaughterhouse." The public responded positively by honking as they drove > by or by turning into the parking lot to talk and get a leaflet. Ronald kept > casting nervous glances out the window, but his twin just stared back at him. > > The reasons for protesting McDonalds are many, including: cruelty to > animals, damaging the environment, low wages and poor treatment of workers, > and brainwashing children into eating unhealthy food. > > As Ronald left the building, his twin burst into flame. He hurried to his > van and didn't wait around to chat. After Ronald had finished burning, the > demonstrators doused his charred remains with water and left. > > "I want to apologize for participating in helping to brainwash North > America's young people into doing something that I now know to be contrary > to the purpose of life." > - Geoffrey Giuliano, who played Ronald McDonald for two years for > Mcdonalds of Canada. > > The reason McDonalds' food is cheap, is because the true costs are borne by > their workers, the environment, animals, and the health of the children and > others who consume their unhealthy food. > - Aaron Koleszar, Island Residents Against Toxic Environments (IRATE) > > Note: Workers at a McDonalds outlet in Quebec decided to form a union, then > on February 13, the manager of the McDonalds announced that the restaurant > would close. Newsworld reporters were denied an interview with staff, so > they visited the drive-through window to speak to them. "When do you go for > your break?" asked the reporter. "I don't get a break'" replied the > drive-through server. "Funny," commented the reporter, "I thought 'Have you > had your break today?' was McDonald's motto." > > -30- > > Contact: > Aaron Koleszar, Island Residents Against Toxic Environments (IRATE) > (902) 659-2570, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> or <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Prince Edward Island PROPAGANDA JOURNAL > look at http://www3.pei.sympatico.ca/brad/ > > "Cowardice asks the question: is it safe? > Expediency asks the question: is it politic? > Vanity asks the question: is it popular? > But conscience asks the question: is it right? > And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither > safe, nor politic, nor popular---but one must take it because it is > right. One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws---an unjust > law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law." > -- Martin Luther King > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > U.S. McLibel Support Campaign Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > PO Box 62 Phone/Fax 802-586-9628 > Craftsbury VT 05826-0062 http://www.mcspotlight.org/ > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
