Day 001 - 28 Jun 94 - Page 13


     
     1        animals and people behind a facade of colourful gimmicks
              and 'family fun'.  The food itself is much the same
     2        everywhere - only the packaging is different. The rise of
              these firms means less choice, not more. They are one of
     3        the worst examples of industries motivated only by profit,
              and geared to continual expansion.
     4
              This materialist mentality is affecting all areas of our
     5        lives, with giant conglomerates dominating the
              marketplace, allowing little or no room for people to
     6        create genuine choices.  But alternatives do exist, and
              many are gathering support every day from people rejecting
     7        big business in favour of small-scale self-organisation
              and co-operation.
     8
              The point is not to change McDonald's into some sort of
     9        vegetarian organisation, but to change the whole system
              itself.  Anything less would still be a rip-off."
    10
              I pause there. Just over the page (because it is relevant
    11        to the claim for an injunction) underneath the box, the
              box, the box reads: "Produced by Greenpeace (London)" --
    12        I will come back to them -- "for worldwide anti-McDonald's
              protests on United Nations 'World Food Day' October 16",
    13        the year being 1989.  There is a square blob, "What can be
              done.  Stop using McDonald's, Wimpy, etc., and tell your
    14        friends exactly why." In other words, tell everybody that
              you know about the contents of this leaflet.
    15
              At the bottom of the page there is a square box which
    16        describes -- I will not read because, in our case, it is
              not an accurate description -- the London Greenpeace
    17        group.  At the bottom there is an address where one can
              send off for further copies of this leaflet.
    18
              My Lord, in reading that leaflet in the way I did, your
    19        Lordship will have noticed that I concentrated on the
              statements and implications of fact.  There were two
    20        reasons for that, my Lord.  First, of course they formed
              by far a greater part of the leaflet.  Second, it is on
    21        account of those statements of fact that McDonald's have
              brought this action; I should say, misstatements of fact.
    22
              My Lord, there may well be people in McDonald's -- not too
    23        many -- who do not like McDonald's food, whether because
              it is made from meat or because they do not like the taste
    24        of it, or whatever other reason.  Such people may wish to
              add expression to their views about McDonald's food
    25        sometimes in strong terms.  So far as McDonald's are
              concerned, anybody is free to express his criticism in 
    26        whatever terms he wishes.  McDonald's may not like it, but 
              they would never try to prevent it.  They cannot and do 
    27        not object to fair and reasonable and honest criticism of
              their business or their products.
    28
              What however, they will always seek to prevent -- always
    29        have sought to prevent -- is dissemination of false
              factual information about the company, its business and
    30        its products.
 

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