Day 276 - 09 Jul 96 - Page 36


     
     1
     2             Obviously, just generally, about that background
     3        briefing, I make all the same complaints as the ones that I
     4        have made in relation to the earlier copies referred to.
     5
     6             In tab 11 is another letter passed on by a member of
     7        the public where again the line is repeated that "it has
     8        never been our intention to seek damages or recover costs
     9        from the defendants".  There are some letters, one to The
    10        Guardian and one to The Scotsman from Mike Love, and
    11        obviously where the same points are covered in Mr. Love's
    12        letter obviously I would have the same complaints about
    13        those.
    14
    15   MR. MORRIS:  Sorry, what tab number was that?
    16        A.  Tab 14.  Finally, there is a fax from -- which I don't
    17        know whether they said got put in the bundle but may be it
    18        could be put in tab 17 or something, which was the next
    19        empty tab, from Mike Love at McDonald's to Annette Heider
    20        at Sterne magazine sent on 9th May 1996, and the very same
    21        libel action background briefing is still being distributed
    22        by the company.  And that was even after Paul Preston
    23        agreed in the witness box that there had only been one
    24        letter sent about a different leaflet, although he claimed
    25        they were similar.
    26
    27   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think at the moment I probably have that
    28        behind Mr. Preston's statement, so I will leave it there
    29        for the time being.
    30        A.  Can I just make some points in relation to some of the
    31        things that were said by Mr. Preston?  We have never
    32        encouraged other people to repeat libels against
    33        McDonald's.  As I have said before, I am not interested in
    34        the dissemination of false information.  I am interested in
    35        people hearing about the truth about McDonald's, and
    36        companies such as McDonald's.  I would encourage people not
    37        to give in to bullying by multinationals, who would like to
    38        see their critics silenced, but is it not something that I
    39        demand of anyone?  It is just a matter of, you know,
    40        encouraging people to stand up for what they believe in.  I
    41        do not have a malicious purpose.  As I said in my original
    42        statement, my reasons for criticising McDonald's are
    43        because I want to see a world without exploitation and
    44        oppression and that is because I care a great deal about
    45        other people and about animals and about the environment.
    46
    47             It was suggested that because the Plaintiffs have
    48        given us their witness statements and the documents we
    49        should somehow therefore be completely accepting that what
    50        they were saying was true.  I mean, apart from the fact
    51        that even within the Plaintiff's own documents there are
    52        any number of things which go to prove the allegations made
    53        in the fact sheet and the criticisms made by campaigners,
    54        and the same applies in the Plaintiff's, some of the
    55        Plaintiff's own witness statements, apart from even that,
    56        there is also the fact that obviously we had our own
    57        witness statements and documents which in my mind totally
    58        justify the criticism that has been made of McDonald's.
    59        And to be honest, if I did not believe in the criticisms
    60        that have been made about McDonald's, I really would not

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