Sm FEATURES

and food poisoning among McDonald’s consumers, were rendered irrele-
vant in the case. The logic: McDonald’s successfully argued that the
London Greenpeace fact sheet implied that the company was directly
responsible for the aforementioned ailments. The judge ruled that all of the
comments in the controversial fact sheet, minus one, had to be proven by
primary sources.

Morris claims that the fact sheet was meant to criticize, on a more gen-
eral level, multinationals and the food industry.

Despite losing the case on account of semantic interpretations, Morris is
positive. “As far as we were concerned, we were completely successful in
what we were able to establish in the court room.”

He explains further, “We knew that if we could get them to make con-
cessions and admissions in our favour, then that would strengthen our
whole case. And that’s what happened.”

As for the money, Morris doubts that a company that annually generates
$32 billion, would have the gall to issue demands under media spotlights.

The telling of the McLibel tale

“McDonald's strategy of censorship was completely defeated,” beamed
Morris. He pointed out that the court case has garnered international atten-
tion: What began as a small leafleting campaign has grown—amillions of
leaflets are regularly distributed by activists around the world.

“Now McDonald’s is a symbol of what’s wrong with our society. That
doesn’t happen by accident, that happened as a result of tens of thou-
sands of people around the world, stepping up the campaign against
McDonald's.”

After the telling of the now fabled McLibel trial wound to an end, Morris
described a bit about his continued activism in North London, and the
importance of grassroots movements.

According to Morris, the McLibel case was a small experiment in local
and global activism. “It was probably the first and only case in the world
where a multinational corporation, in fact a whole industry, was on trial in
a public case and, at the same time as all that legal stuff, there was a sup-
port campaign, mastering of grassroots, leafleting and protesting and cam-
paigning,” he said.

“Often it seems hopeless to face up to these very powerful and influen-
tial institutions and what they are trying to get everyone to believe. But
actually, everything that people do is having a long-term effect,’ he added.

Morris says the fruition of labour, environmental, peace, feminism and
other movements in the last 10 years is a positive step towards challeng-
ing the practices of both McWorld and governments.

_ “I’m just here to tell our story and give encouragement to people. All over
the world, we're fighting the same battle.”

 

 

 

   

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