Day 276 - 09 Jul 96 - Page 31


     
     1        and no legal experience.
     2
     3             On the next page of the document, if I just say that
     4        in the second paragraph obviously McDonald's say that the
     5        leaflet has been distributed extensively in and around
     6        McDonald's restaurants since 1984, not just in the UK but
     7        worldwide to the extent that its contents have been
     8        reported in the media, in schools and even in a church
     9        magazine.  Well, we know that that is not true.  That the
    10        leaflet was not produced until around about October 1986
    11        and that the one that was reproduced in a church magazine
    12        was in fact the Veggies fact sheet which McDonald's
    13        themselves had effectively sanctioned by agreeing that if
    14        they made limited changes there was not any other problem
    15        with the leaflet.
    16
    17             There are several references in the next few
    18        paragraphs to McDonald's taking action to correct these
    19        lies, and that McDonald's has no choice but to stop these
    20        lies, and then in the fourth paragraph they say,
    21        "McDonald's has no choice therefore but to take steps to
    22        stop these lies otherwise the group will continue to
    23        deceive the public.  The group is not incorporated,
    24        therefore it was only possible for McDonald's action to be
    25        against those individuals who were responsible for
    26        distributing the leaflet and who chose to defend it".
    27
    28             So there is a clear statement there that McDonald's
    29        are accusing us personally of deceiving the public, which
    30        is something that I find extremely offensive.  They are
    31        clearly saying that we are deliberately deceiving the
    32        public and we know that the leaflets are lies, especially
    33        since they have written to us so many times that the
    34        leaflets are untrue.  Obviously, as far as we are concerned
    35        that is completely untrue and, as we have seen on the
    36        evidence so far, that is completely untrue.
    37
    38             Firstly, I believe that the fact sheet is true.
    39        Secondly, it was out of stock by the time the writs were
    40        served on us and so it could not be being distributed by
    41        London Greenpeace or by us after that date.  Thirdly, the
    42        leaflets that are being circulated to this day, and since
    43        writs were served, are A5 leaflets which I certainly
    44        believe to be true.  It is important to me as a campaigner
    45        to be trusted and it is important to me to put out truthful
    46        information, and I would never distribute something which I
    47        did not believe to be true.
    48
    49             It is important to me that I am not publicly accused.
    50        I do find it offensive to be publicly accused of
    51        deliberately deceiving the public on matters of great
    52        public importance, and I state categorically I would never
    53        deliberately deceive the public on matters of such public
    54        importance as health, working conditions, the environment,
    55        animal welfare, and so on.  They are just far too important
    56        things.  I do not know whether you want me to stop at this
    57        point?
    58
    59   Q.   Well, I was not stopping you in case you wanted to complete
    60        what you wanted to say about that particular document?

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