Day 288 - 28 Oct 96 - Page 04


     
     1        section as it is set out in the fact sheet, making a few
     2        comments.  And also for some of the points, I am going to
     3        state the facts that have been heard to back up what is
     4        said in the fact sheet as I go through, but I also intend
     5        to deal separately with a detailed summary of the
     6        conditions for cattle, chicken and pigs, afterwards rather
     7        than doing that intermingled.
     8
     9        Now, the section on animals starts with the heading "In
    10        what way are McDonald's responsible for torture and
    11        murder".  I think on at least one occasion previously
    12        Mr. Rampton said that this was a rhetorical question and
    13        that the leaflet is saying that McDonald's are responsible
    14        for torture and murder by this question.  I think that it
    15        is true that it is saying that McDonald's are responsible
    16        for the torture and murder of animals, but then the fact
    17        sheet goes on to explain how they are responsible, in what
    18        way they are responsible for the countless deaths.
    19
    20        Obviously the first sentence is:  "The menu at McDonald's
    21        is based on meat".  Obviously that is true and I presume
    22        not even McDonald's would deny that.  I think it is only
    23        very recently that they have been pressurised into
    24        introducing any vegetarian product.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  There has not been any issue as to that.
    27
    28   MS. STEEL:   I can say that we consider that is irrelevant
    29        anyway.  This fact sheet does actually state that the point
    30        is not to change McDonald's into some sort of vegetarian
    31        organisation but to change the whole system itself;
    32        anything less would still be a rip-off, basically because
    33        the profits of the company would still be founded on the
    34        exploitation of animals, people and the planet.
    35
    36        The next ----
    37
    38   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  It means a lot of stopping and starting, but
    39        the engineer has arrived so we will do that now.  We may
    40        try and go through until 1 o'clock without a break, but if
    41        you feel you need one, tell me.
    42
    43                         (Short Adjournment)
    44
    45   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   You had just started "they sell millions".
    46        You have dealt with the first sentence.
    47
    48   MS. STEEL:   The second sentence: "They sell millions of burgers
    49        every day in 35 countries throughout the world." Can I just
    50        say that in the defendants' original list of documents at 
    51        document 197 there is a kind of potted history of 
    52        McDonald's which is produced by McDonald's UK.  It has not 
    53        got a date on it, but it seems to go up to covering events
    54        in 1984.
    55
    56        That document says that at that stage there were over 8,000
    57        McDonald's in 37 countries and that in that year the 50
    58        billionth hamburger was sold on 20th November.  By 1990,
    59        when the writs were served on us, McDonald's were operating
    60        in 53 countries.  That is in McDonald's profile, pink

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