McLibel: Anniversary of 1997 High Court Victory!

McLibel: Anniversary of 1997 High Court Victory!

The McLibel case, brought by the McDonald’s Corporation against London Greenpeace activists Helen Steel and Dave Morris (the ‘McLibel 2′), was the longest and one of the most controversial trials in English history. London Greenpeace had been criticising McDonald’s as an example of transnational corporations’ global exploitation of workers, customers, children, animals and the environment.

Protestors launched a successful global defiance campaign in response to the junk food giant’s attempts to silence their critics. 25 years  on from the trial verdict the McLibel campaign from that era continues to inspire, and McDonald’s continues to be a focus of campaigns over low pay, junk food and its effect on the environment.The High Court ruled that McDonald’s marketing has “pretended to a positive nutritional benefit which their food did not match”; that they “exploit children”; are “culpably responsible for animal cruelty” and “pay low wages”.

Introduction quoted from the-mclibel-trial-and-mcdonalds-25-years-on by Dave Morris.

See also mclibel-5-climbing-mountains, the 1995 artical by Squall, at the height of the campaign.

The Appeal court

… added that it was fair comment that their employees worldwide “do badly in terms of pay and conditions”, and true that “if one eats enough McDonald’s food” this may well lead to “the very real risk of heart disease.”

Whilst McDonalds continue to strive to be responsible for the killing of more animals than anyone else on the planet, we must continue to educate the public about the ethical alternatives for the sake of all the worlds people, other animals and the global environment.

A final victory in the European Court of Human Rights declared the UK Goverenment to have been at fault in allowing the unfair balance of the original trial. The campaign was then wound up, although other groups and individuals continue campaigning independently (as has always been the case).

Some things of note since the Euro victory include:

• BBC showing of the full-length McLibel documentary.
• Protests continue.
• McDonald’s / Rainforest / Soya feed for animals scandal (exposed by Greenpeace UK).
• McDs trying to bully Dictionaries to alter the negative (ie accurate) definition of ‘McJob’.
• increasing pressure from all quarters to ban junk food adverts to children.
• The revelations concerning the #Spycops embedded in the campaign, including their part in writing the original leaflet.

EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS confirms ‘McDonald’s were not able to claim damages against Veggies for further distribution of the material (What’s Wrong With Mc’Donald Factsheet)‘:

“On the last day of the (McLibel) trial, Mr Rampton, counsel for McDonalds, stated: ‘I would certainly accept that after the agreement, the settlement with Veggies had been reached, McDonald’s were not able to claim damages against Veggies for further distribution of the material which is the subject of this action. Plainly because there has been an accord of satisfactions…”

… and more … see http://www.mcspotlight.org/case/trial/verdict/Echr.html#Veggiesagreement

Also … from ‘Para 241 b – Some general sources:

“Veggies: as explained previously Veggies reprinted the London Greenpeace Factsheet and have been its main distributors from 1987. After being threatened that year with legal action by McDonald’s solicitors there were negotiations and the company dropped all further action. The agreement reached specifically accepted the continued distribution of the Factsheet with only minor amendments, in reality only affecting the ‘rainforest’ section. Veggies continue to circulate this version of the Factsheet widely. McDonald’s have accepted that their agreement with Veggies amounts to an ‘accord of satisfactions”.

More #McLibel articles  on Veggies website.

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