Day 001 - 28 Jun 94 - Page 19
1 role as a catalyst - inspiring others to take action. A
good example of this was the Stop the City demonstrations
2 of 1983/4 which were initiated by us but involved
thousands of people who decided spontaneously to try to
3 bring the financial heart of the industrial death machine
to a standstill. So successful were these mass actions
4 that they spread to other cities.
5 Perhaps the most successful campaign we have initiated in
recent years", my Lord, this is the important paragraph,
6 "has been the one against the McDonald's hamburger
corporation. This has become a nationwide and worldwide
7 movement uniting many disparate campaigners in the aim of
smashing a multinational that epitomises everything we
8 despise - a junk culture, the deadly banality of
capitalism. McDonald's themselves are so frightened that
9 they are resorting to threatening legal action - a sure
sign we're winning! For World Food Day 1986 (Oct 16) we
10 produced a factsheet, 'What's Wrong with McDonald's',
which is now established as a classic. We've received
11 requests for copies from all over the world, and many
groups have used it to make their own leaflets. We have
12 also recently campaigned against another murderous
multinational". I will not read the company's name out.
13 It would not be fair.
14 I go on: "London Greenpeace is affiliated to the
Anti-Nuclear Network, which reflects our belief in
15 decentralisation and local campaigning. We were active in
supporting the miners' strike and the printworkers sacked
16 by Murdoch and have been involved in the campaigns against
the Public Order Act, the General Election (if elections
17 changed anything they'd be abolished) and the Poll Tax.
Many in our group are unemployed and are active in
18 claimants' struggles. At the present time we are
developing a campaign - in collaboration with East
19 European groups - for the abolition of all state borders
and for the free movement of people throughout the world,
20 and we shall be exposing the tyranny of the International
Monetary Fund/World Bank and the '3rd World' debt
21 crisis".
22 Then comes a heading: "Join the Struggle". "Unlike most
groups we have no 'leaders' or 'members'; all our work is
23 done collectively". That may bear powerfully on the
question of responsibility for the distribution of the
24 words complained of in this action.
25 "You can join us by coming to our weekly meetings.
Occasionally we invite speakers from other organisations.
26 We encourage people to campaign locally (though we welcome
donations from people who can't be active themselves) by
27 joining existing groups or setting up their own. We can
supply you with a list of contacts. As a local group
28 ourselves, we have no 'branches', but there are groups
throughout the world who share our aims. Joining one of
29 them means you are taking the first steps on the road to
revolution and liberation."
30
One comment one can make, perhaps, about this leaflet, one
