MacDonalds protests

[jargon]

Hello, my this is my first post but let me get right to the point, for a few years now I've had a bone to pick with those people who like to throw a few bricks into MacDonalds windows and other corporate outlets with questionable business practices and the like.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/wto/gallery/photo/photo11.jpg

http://www.fetusinbloom.com/albums/album22/DSCN7838.jpg

Now really I simply can't see what smashing a few windows is going to achieve, it might cost the company a few hundred pounds to replace them and it's not going to do you any favors if you end up with a conviction on your record, now I'm no friend of MacDonalds I think they have lot to answer, so what have these people achieved? As far as I can see, they have done nothing but only to bring the lefts cause into disrepute.

Perhaps these people should have focused their anger into a more productive medium of protest, in my books once you get into meanigless viloance you have lost you cause, these people should come to realise that they are not part of some elite fighting vangard of fighters, I understand their anger but before you throw the brick, think of what you can achieve without the need for viloance.

Thanks for reading would likfe to know what you think about this post and these protests.

[DrFreeman09]

Yes, throwing a brick through a window isn't going to solve anything. If you want to do something, get some people together and boycott McDonald's and the like. And don't think that peaceful protest doesn't work, because the end of segregation came peacefully!

[which doctor]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2006, 01:43 PM
Yes, throwing a brick through a window isn't going to solve anything. If you want to do something, get some people together and boycott McDonald's and the like.
There will never be enough people to boycott McDonalds to the point where they need to rethink their business.

[chimx]

Throwing bricks is a lot more fun than not eating juicy cheese burgers.

[loveme4whoiam]

More fun, certainly. More productive, not so much. And as for getting McDonalds to rethink their business policies, how is a broken window going to make them do that? The only thing that'll happen is that you'll scare the poor wage-slaves who work there (I was one of them, I know) and the management will have to replace it. Hows that constructive?

[Hegemonicretribution]

Originally posted by Fist of [email protected] 19 2006, 06:50 PM
There will never be enough people to boycott McDonalds to the point where they need to rethink their business.
I really disagree!

Their "healthy eating" approach was a response to a slump in sales in the aftermath of Supersize me and the like.

There was an article in the Guardian a couple of weeks ago about substantial store closures accross the UK. They also commented on a loss in profit, and the decision not to open any more stores at the moment.

I don't know if you are familiar with "saturisation" as put in No Logo, but MDs have pretty much reached that, and are now failing to get the hold in the market they expected.

Anyway, you are right that in the most part smashing windows does little. It raises awareness and status amongst certain groups, but turns others off. Personally if I was drunk and felt like breaking something, it would be a store like this, and not a building from a working class area.

[loveme4whoiam]

You are bang on Hegemonicretribution - they are having to close 22 (I think) stores UK-wide, causing them a £23 million lose of profits. How's that for alternative fast-foods :P The massive amount of competition has led to this - not necessarily boycotts, but its better than nothing,

[somebodywhowantedtoleaveandnotcomeback]

I want a fucking communist McDonalds rip-off right now! I've been without unhealthy, juicy, fat fastfood for years now, simply because there is no fastfood alternative to McDonalds :(

[Forward Union]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2006, 06:43 PM
, get some people together and boycott McDonald's and the like. And don't think that peaceful protest doesn't work, because the end of segregation came peacefully!
What a conservative view. "Business is the ultimate power" it's this silly middle-class notion that radical change can only be made through business and that boycotting, or buying from businesses is a great and influential thing, it's neither. This is right out conservatism.

Burn McDonalds to the fucking ground.

[Niall]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2006, 10:49 PM
You are bang on Hegemonicretribution - they are having to close 22 (I think) stores UK-wide, causing them a £23 million lose of profits. How's that for alternative fast-foods :P The massive amount of competition has led to this - not necessarily boycotts, but its better than nothing,
yeah, its a start

[Global_Justice]

Originally posted by Additives Free+Mar 20 2006, 03:41 PM--> (Additives Free @ Mar 20 2006, 03:41 PM)
[email protected] 19 2006, 06:43 PM
, get some people together and boycott McDonald's and the like. And don't think that peaceful protest doesn't work, because the end of segregation came peacefully!
What a conservative view. "Business is the ultimate power" it's this silly middle-class notion that radical change can only be made through business and that boycotting, or buying from businesses is a great and influential thing, it's neither. This is right out conservatism.

Burn McDonalds to the fucking ground. [/b]
:lol:

[Squirel52]

I think a largely ignored aspect of this thread is the simple question of "why?". What aspect of McDonalds is it that makes it one of the most hated giant corporations around? If it's the shitty way they treat their staff, then down here in little ol' New Zealand the workers have decided enough is enough.

All across the country the workers of McDonalds are uniting under the banner of SuperSizeMyPay.com (a NZ based campaign organised by the UNITE union) and are staging regular strikes and walkouts. The public is getting right behind the cause and the union even got so bold as to issue McDonalds with a lawsuite for illegal refusal to bargain for wages and for intensive and active anti-unionism. McD's are being wankers... The workers are rebelling. No Bricks. No pointless (and strangely mixed up) Flags in windows, just public demonstrations and industrial action and McDs has been forced to the bargaining table.

That, my left wing friends, is how to deal a blow to mcdonalds. actually tell your McDonalds workers that thy are wage-slaves and get them to do something about it. You would be amazed at how much difference the courage of one store worth of workers can have.

SquirelMan
:ph34r:

P.s. Boycotting something the size of McD's is slightly less than pointless at the kind of scale any 1 group can organise. Sure they are shutting down in the UK but that's because A) they bit off more than they could chew and, as Hegemonicretribution said, Saturated their market, and B) the entire global economy is slowing down. I expect to see several major economic collapses in the next few months. What they are doing by closing down now is the most viable course of action for them long term - cut losses now before the losses get even worse.

[Mesijs]

I personally hate McDonald's too, but that is because I'm a vegetarian. There are a few ways to protest against it.

You can do it in a violent way. Smash all the windows and burn it to the ground. To make a real statement, steal their money and give it to a charity (declaring it on internet or to a newspaper).

You can also do it peaceful. A very strong way to do it is to disorder McDonald's very much without breaking the law. You could go with a very big groep of people to McDonald's and hang around and complain about things as the cleanness or the service, thereby screwing up the business. You could also give brochure's to the customers of McDonald's.

Peaceful protests against Mc is possible in two ways. Either you scare off the people or you try to win the people for you. The first thing is very easy, the second thing would be better.

[Hegemonicretribution]

Originally posted by Additives [email protected] 20 2006, 03:41 PM
What a conservative view. "Business is the ultimate power" it's this silly middle-class notion that radical change can only be made through business and that boycotting, or buying from businesses is a great and influential thing, it's neither. This is right out conservatism.

Burn McDonalds to the fucking ground.
Both approaches will be necessary.

Boycotts won't end anything, but as it was shown above, they can make a difference. On another level I personally boycott a lot, because when I am forced to take part in capitalist society, I realise that not every company is quite as bad. I would boycott on a personal level even if their was no impact.

Thinking boycotts are the only way is ridiculous however, as AF pointed out.

That sad the current rate of loss n the UK is not something MDs can sustain indefinitely, although it is unlikely they will have to. MDs have the money to perform little tricks to boost sales, so eventually some aggressve tactics will be required.

Right now I thnk they are justified, although if someone trashing a store gets caught I just hope they don't say it was in the name of "communism." Well at least not at this stage.

[7189]

Technically, if everyone on this site went to their local McDonald's at 3 oclock in the morning and threw a brick through the window it may incur such great costs to the business as a whole that the company may well lose a lot of its market share, but as you say, violence is NOT the answer. Education, on the other hand, is. People need to be educated about the crap they get at these places and the exploitation linked with the fabrication of said crap. They also need to be educated to actually care about others instead of their own fat bellies. If they cared about what's going on in South America they might think again about sinking their teeth into a crappy soggy burger made with the cheapest, dodgiest ingredients. I swore never to eat McDonald's or Burger King on New Year's Eve 2003. That was roughly 27 months ago. I haven't touched their crap since, and I don't intend on touching it.

[Abood]

They also need to be educated to actually care about others instead of their own fat bellies.
I thought it's about education, but it's not.
I told my friend that McDonald's fund zionists and supports them and you know what her response was? "It doesn't matter, Israel will get money from somewhere else if we boycott McDonald's".

People like that just give in and have no hope. It reminds of something else...
Many muslims claim that communism won't work because "the Qoran said that the world will be worse as time moves on".

Anyway, in response to the person who posted the pictures:
Those people want to make a statement - that McDonald's sucks and that anarchism and communism opposes it.
The ironic thing is, they have drinks purchased from McDonald's on their table.

[7189]

Obviously when I say education I mean a more lengthy process, involving a certain amount of conditioning. You are right though, most people nowadays are far too apathetic to care which is appalling.

[bunk]

Originally posted by Socialist [email protected] 1 2006, 02:37 PM

The ironic thing is, they have drinks purchased from McDonald's on their table.
I didn't notice that before. That is completely stupid.

[Disciple of Prometheus]

What I have to ask is what did they really plan to accomplish? I mean honestly, what "revolution," is going to be inspired by a bunch of ragtag teens, with their little military store bought surplus berets, and their army green Che' t-shirts? All they did was break a couple of windows, slap the circle-A on the side, and sport the commie flag, oh big revolution right there, come on be more sensible about this, I am sure there is a much better way to "punch," McDonalds in the corporate gut, then some broken windows. I mean the company has a restaurant in just about EVERY COUNTRY, so I don't think they felt this was anything to be concerned about.

[Entrails Konfetti]

I agree, throwing bricks through windows of McDonald is pointless

You need to throw a rope around the McDonalds sign, and smash through the windows with your leg sticking outwards. Be sure to do it with nine other friends, this looks impressive.

Once you're inside of the building, leave through the doors.

But before you exit be sure to shout "I forgot what I was going to order!"

[patrickbeverley]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19 2006, 07:49 PM
Yes, throwing a brick through a window isn't going to solve anything.
The Women's Social and Political Union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_Social_and_Political_Union#Campaigning_b ecomes_more_militant)

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Sadly, I work at McDonalds. Trying to get money for schooling, parental pressures to get a job, and judgment errors on my part. Oh well, this fall I am done and off to university.

[Aurora]

Make sure to smash the windows on the way out :D

Seriously though if everyone on this forum went down to their local MD and smashed a window we could cause some devastating damage! :ph34r:
Boycotting isnt going to accomplish anything!What we need is some affermative action!

[silentprotest]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20 2006, 04:44 AM
Make sure to smash the windows on the way out :D

Seriously though if everyone on this forum went down to their local MD and smashed a window we could cause some devastating damage! :ph34r:
Boycotting isnt going to accomplish anything!What we need is some affermative action!
You should read Jennifer Government by Max Barry, there's a nice bit in the book where they perform a strike on McDonalds that costs it it's reputation. Plus, it seems perfectly viable. If you've read the book you will know what I mean.

[Janus]

There are also some protests going on against MacDonalds in Florida by some Immokalee workers there.