Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 07


     
     1        A.  I do not know specifically.  I know what I had said and
     2        done until court was supposed to begin in early 1994, and
     3        that was:  stay entirely away from the media.  I never even
     4        thought about going into the media or gave any discussion
     5        with anyone about it until ----
     6
     7   Q.   Why was that?
     8        A. ---- until you yourselves made your press releases, as
     9        you did, during the first part of 1994.
    10
    11   Q.   Why was it you decided not to talk to the media then?
    12        A.  There was no reason to.  The court will handle the
    13        issue.  This is not a matter for the media in terms of
    14        public opinion, or anything.  It is a matter of the facts
    15        being put before a judge in this court.
    16
    17   Q.   But, Mr. Preston, your company continually places
    18        advertisements in the media and television, in newspapers,
    19        and so on, and you are not normally shy about talking to a
    20        media about, well, about basically how great you think
    21        McDonald's is.  So why suddenly, as you claim, stop just
    22        prior to the trial starting?
    23        A.  I am sorry, you are talking about two entirely
    24        different issues.  It is a very conscious decision in a
    25        matter as serious as this before a court of law to let it
    26        be handled in a court of law.  At such time as the
    27        situation changed, and you yourselves began issuing press
    28        releases, or the so-called McLibel Support Group began to
    29        do so, I felt I had no other alternative but to try to
    30        counter balance those with the media, and did not in fact
    31        send anything out until you had done yours.  So I was not
    32        out there trying to win the hearts and minds of anybody.  I
    33        was quite prepared to wait and sit in this courtroom.
    34
    35   Q.   Mr. Preston, your organisation sent out a press release
    36        when the 3 other Defendants apologised, did not they?
    37        A.  We may have.
    38
    39   Q.   Right.  So you were not entirely quiet about this court
    40        case?
    41        A.  I think you are talking about two different issues.
    42
    43   Q.   It is the same case?
    44        A.  No, it is not.  It is 2 different cases.
    45
    46   Q.   Is it?
    47        A.  Absolutely.
    48
    49   Q.   The issues are exactly the same, are not they?
    50        A.  No, they are not.  In one case we had 3 individuals 
    51        apologise.  It was noted in a public forum.  There was 
    52        nothing said in advance of it happening and anything said 
    53        occurred after the fact, and in the case we are speaking
    54        about, you began putting out press releases and literature
    55        in advance of the case happening when we had done nothing
    56        whatsoever.
    57
    58   Q.   No, the point is ----
    59        A.  I am sorry, but that is true.
    60

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