16th, 2002
RESIST!
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what's planned? what do we hope to achieve? Other relevant stuff
Latest...
We are starting to hear about many general anti-McD's protests... in Australia some protesters bagged up McDonald's rubbish they found on surrounding streets and returned it to McD's. Ecologically conscious and sparing someone a trash walk! In Austria there were protests in Salzburg and Vienna and a number of restaurants were spray painted or had their locks glued.
In Munster, Germany, there was a picket by Some 20 people from the "Freie ArbeiterInnen Union" (FAU-IAA). They entered the main McDonalds facility in this Northern German town and leafletted workers and customers as well as displaying a banner with "McJob? No thanks! FAU MWR"
In Belfast, members of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation and animal rights activists handed McWorkers copies of McSues, leaflets and stuff from the ASF in solidarity- "Most workers thought it was dead funny and well, things take time but we planted the seeds of resistance in the two main McDonalds in Belfast..."
We've just heard that yesterday saw a mass resignation at a Glasgow store- not our one!...
Shit, this didn't seem to get posted- "just so as you know what we got up to in Adelaide Australia. So we had a little plan to try a little plumbing with careful use of a little cement. But some bastard moved the bag of cement we had hidden! Now 5 of us had been working on this little plot and we deployed another strategie we cut open all the milk based mix! It was buetiful, it flooded the floor no ice cream or thick shakes which just happens to be all we fucking sell! It must have cost them lots and the best bit- nobody got caught! Burger fury with love from Aus"
We have just heard that there was a mass demonstration in Mexico City against McDonalds yesterday and the police violently arrested 94 people. More news regarding this worrying situation as soon as we have it.
From the belly of the beast!- "Dis is the shit we got up to in Chicago- a freezer is KAPOWED, crack, bliss. KABOOM, a toaster is blown up. SCHLOP- yet another mopbucket schlosses the floor, now we flyin. SMASH? a light breaks? what a terrible accident. A DAY WE WILL NEVER FORGET, LOVE FROM, Chicago Corps of the paramilitary front for the liberation of McDonalds Workers."
"Big hi from L.A. and our drive thru mcshit. we are so sick of
all the shit bullcrap we have to put up with and we agree totally 100
percent with you guys and your beliefs. We didn't hear what was going down until last check so no time to do summin this time but there was a meeting held by some of us and totally unanimously all agreed that we will be there next time. Hasta le victorie siempre!"
A planned walkout in Southampton did not take place.
In Brescia, Italy, there was a protest where real food was promoted in contrast to McDonalds crap. They also leafleted and discussed with workers (and win a prize for managing to find some contented McSlaves).
There were at lest two protests in Serbia, including one in Belgrade where some 50 people gathered accompanied by jugglers and vegan food.
In Torronto some workers chose the 16th to end their misery... They entered their store as a group, flung their uniforms across the counter by way of a resignation and then one of them stood on a chair and gave a speech to staff and customers about working conditions and that "the food is spat in anyway".
In Bonn, Germany, all the McDonalds were flyered by the Freie ArbeiterInnen Union (FAU-IAA) two or three times during the day. There was a flyer that was handed to customers and there was a special leaflet for the workers. They also went with the workers leaflet into the staff only areas. The flyers had a message to the workers to "join the resistance!", or to the customers to show solidarity, as well as the text from MWR and CNT-F.
OK, ya basta. This page will not be updated again until tomorrow morning, everyone's fucking knackered and it's time to lock up and get pissed.
A report from manchester- "We cemented the toilets so that hopefully they will be totally out of action for a bit. I'm glad to hear the stuff that has been going on all over the world. THE ONLY ANSWER IS DIRECT ACTION!"
22:00
First Oct. 16th news in from US- a sick note from Houston.
"THIS IS FROM DUBLIN RIGHT. WE DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT MCDONALDS WE JUST THERE FOR THE MONEY. SO WE SAW THAT TODAY MCDONALDS CREW EVERYWHERE ARE FUCKING ABOUT. RIGHT WE ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD AT STEALING OUTTHE
TILLS WE ALWAYS DO IT. BUT TODAY MORE THAN EVER WE PULLED TOGETHER WHAT WE STOLE AND WE HAVE SOME 150 OF YOUR MONEY. IM JUST HOME TO GET CHANGED LETYOU KNOW THE NEWS. RIGHT WE ARE GOING FOR THE BIGGEST FUCKING
DRINKING SESSION IRELAND EVER SEEN AND WE DRINK YOU ENGLISH TO FUCK. FROM YOUR FRIENDS IN IREALND!!!!!"
21:00
McDonalds Workers Resistance in Stirling "subtly" spread leaflets amongst customers and workers.
Protest in Voronezh, Russia- "Today the 16th of October, "Stop McDonalds!" Committee in Voronezh, Russia, held the picket in front of Mcdonalds and distributed anti-McDonalds leaflets. A day before the area around McDonalds and the McDonalds advertisment was pasted all over by the anti-McDonalds stickers. This action was supported by thr local citizens, and mass-media showed rather big interest to it. Tomorrow there will be a big trade union demonstration in Voronezh, and we are going to intervene to it with the slogans No to McDonalds!"
Piece of bad news- McDonalds solicitors have moved against the fuckmcdonalds.co.uk web site... Come on, don't hate them for it, they've not had their best day...
Milano update... A McDonalds has been blockaded with tactical deployment of eggs, music and the more traditional picket. Pics at: http://italy.indymedia.org/news/2002/10/94903.php
Just in from Liverpool... A MAKE UP DAY!- "We really hate not being allowed to wear make up especially when we have to deal with drunk dickheads and McDonalds gives you spots". Despite protests from managers, they refused to remove the offending cosmetics- "So im 17 and I think I'm in love with you- kidding. BUt i do REALLY respect that you believe in stuff and don't just talk about it but do something about it and we agree with you"- shucks!
"I got six people to say they were too ill to work today. I've heard that they are so short of staff that they have had to borrow from other places"- (no specified location)
20:00
Action in Lancaster, England- "About 20 people just finished an anti-McD action in Lancaster. We started by taking in MWR leafdlets about the day of action, and a copy of the latest news' page as of 15:00".
Action in Malmoe Sweden organised by Autonomt Motstand- "At a McD in central Malmoe we dropped flyers and did graffitti where the workers would find them. The flyers just had a short message to the workers to "join the resistance!" that is worldwide and how to contact MWR. We will continue to spread this and have got some positive response from a few McWorkers on internet".
"Hello comrads we are 3 people slaves of mcdonalds of madrid. Not
today! today we are listening to music!"
Solidarity message from German McWorker- "germany McDonalds is your supporter also we want revolution fuck mcdonalds fuck burger always we make trouble but today do nothing they say nothing because more money is needed even big mac is expensive to us. Everywhere we are united McDoanlds is money, solidarity is better"
19:00
All the stores in central Edinburgh, Scotland have been leafleted and stickered- "over 100 copies of the special MWR/ international leaflet were left in the five stores for workers to find. (In case you haven't found yours yet, try looking behind the upturned toilet seat, in the mop bucket or at the bottom of one of these big funny yellow cone things.)"
There is an action against McDonalds taking place in Santiago de Compostela organised by Confederación Nacional del Trabajo, Ateneu Libertario de Compostela and Movemento Animalístico Libertario Galego.
A picket of the McDonalds on union street, Aberdeen has begun.
18:00
In the driving rain a hardy 50 people have gathered in Frankfurt, Germany for a series of pickets organised by the Frei ArbeiterInnen Union. At present they are listening to speeches... in the rain. Now that's solidarity!
A go slow day has been observed in Birmingham, with crew following every procedure... v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y. "it was certainly not difficult to get people interested. We checked the floor plan and then spoke with all those who were to work today (...) managers were so dumb and stupid that they did not realise what was going on, but all day the queue was enormous and then when people were finally served, there was not any food (...) the managers could not see this was happening here but the sales were down hundreds of pounds on comparative day last year"- 'another drunk student'
In Italy, The 'McStrike' action is underway!! The show piece of October 16th :) Already McDonalds in Milan have been targetted, now hundreds of people are roaming the city accompanied by music and a broadcast reporting on actions in the UK. For the latest news from Milan, see: http://italy.indymedia.org
17:00
A number of solidarity actions are taking place in Slovakia, organised by Priama Akcia-IWA. They are organising solidarity actions in Bratislava. They have made a concerted effort in the run up to October 16th to communicate with staff inside the stores and have had some success, actions are also possible in other towns (Zilina, Banska Bystrica and Kosice). As well as leaflets, they have prepared vegan burgers to be given out. They have also made a booklet for the workers "with examples of how to struggle and how their colleauges struggled in the world"
.
The picket at Kings Lynn has now ended but the store remains virtually unstaffed, when asked why this was so, head office replied it was because of "some sad individuals who are trying to take mcdonalds down".
16:00
The super-underground McDonalds International Liberation Front, who once described MWR as "pussy white boys" have revealed that though no longer working for McD's, they have participated in todays actions, graffiti-ing customer toilets at a McDonalds in an undisclosed location- "emancipation from the fast-food nation and an end to da racist exploitation, been da same shit thru da ages, black men made to work for slave wages - MILF"
So, MWR Glasgow have limped into some sort of action... tired and slightly hungover they have been leafleting and discussing with their fellow McWorkers in yet another Scottish town (travelled by train this time). They are less one... GET WELL SOON BOUNCER!
Right now the French strikers are due to be meeting with McDonalds senior officals.
15:00
WORK STOPPAGE IN MOSCOW! Just had a really emotional, albeit communicationally difficult, phone call with a comrade in Moscow. As we understand it there has been a brief negotiated work stoppage of a few minutes, agreed with a "friendly" manager who will not report the matter further. The workers are now back at work, but this is great news! International solidarity! We are not sure what organisation was responsible it is possible it was organised through 'McHooligans' of Moscow but we're not sure... more info would be very much apreciated.
This has just come through... There was a WALKOUT by some staff In Nottingham city centre at 1:00pm (to coincide with the luchtime rush) while at another store in Nottingham there has been a 'phone in sick' action by the night shift.
In West Country, earlier today, "Staff Have Been Egging Customers At Breakfast" (not sure if that is a literal reference!)
In Northampton There Have been Reports Of Several Incidents, Including Three Hour Breaks, Walk Outs, Sickness, Drinking On The Job Etc.
In Derbyshire Area, a Newsletter produced by Midlands MWR was Photocopied and copies were laid out on lobby next to the newspapers. The call to action was made available to all- "Apparantly Resulting In Some Interesting Customer/Crew Solidarity!" (Thanks to Midlands MWR for reports)
MWR affiliated workers from Greater London MWR, undeterred by their attempted strikes not fully succeeding, have been leafletting at a number of stores around the London area. Wearing scarves to conceal themselves from the CCTV (or if tracked down they would almost certainly be fired) workers have been passing leaflets to other McWorkers. At one stage this resulted in an altercation with a manager who tried to grab someone's scarf- "he showed all the agility of a bloated woodlouse, and only succeeded in amusing the crew still further". It has been a strange afternoon as none of those involved had ever met before, having previously only communicated by e-mail.
14:00
Anti-McDonalds campaigners including the McLibel defendants Dave Morris and Helen Steel are beginning Pickets of McDonalds in North London as part of the global day of action against McDonalds that has been observed since the mid 1980s.
13:00
Six McDonalds in Paris, represented by the CNT union are today strikeing as part of this international day of struggle!! Workers representatives are due to meet with McDonalds officials at 3pm local time to demand (rhetorically) better conditions and wages for McWorkers across Europe. More news as soon as available. "No more shall we endure modern day slavery! Today, 16th October, we have had enough For an international solidarity ! For the unity of all the McDonalds workers!"
12:00
This just in from Dallas, USA... "BASTARSD DIDNT SCHEDULE ME FOR 16TH SO I MADE THE CLOSE BEFORE A BIT SPECIAL YEAH MAN FUCK! ME AND MY GIRLFRIEND HID THE DIVE EVERYWHEREi hid the bits of the guns man NO SAUCE TOMORROW. I EVEN TURNED THE freezer off before i left. Tomorrow will be FUCKED REVENGE IS SWEET!
DALLAS COWBOY"
The only independent radio station in Slovenia has started an all day broadcast about McDonalds. The anti-McDonalds show is supported by action as they seek to communicate with customers and workers. The show deals with a range of McIssues and features interviews with former employees of McD's in Slovenia, as well as Dave Morris (one of the defendants in the McLIbel trial) and some chump from McDonalds Workers Resistance. The show is one of a number of things going on in Slovenia to mark the global day of action.
11:00
MWR's sick list... workers have told us they chucked sickies in... Stirling, Kent, Copenhagen, Sheffield, Newcastle, Melbourne, Houston
News Just In! We have heard that McDonalds in Kings Lynn Norfolk is on strike! There is currently only one rather sad crew member working and there is a picket outside the door. DRIVE THRU IS SHUT AND THE STORE IS STRUGGLING TO OPERATE. More information on this exceptional development as soon as we have it
Three strikes planned for London stores this morning have had only partial success. Although a number of workers have taken the day off, the stores are all open and running without serious problems. There had been extensive campaigns from management to avert succesful strike action. Even these attempts are important, however.
10:00
Leaflets have been hitting stores in Australia for some hours now! Comrades from the Industrial Workers of the World have been active trying to spread the word to McWorkers in Aus..."reports are filtering in that leaflets promoting the virtues of global resistance to McDonalds, McJobs and revolutionary unionism are starting to hit the stores (and streets around the stores) in the following places:
-Sydney city area - multiple stores, bus stops etc
-Gundagai and Yass (small towns in regional NSW, Australia - try and find 'em on a map!)
-Kempsey (NSW North Coast, Australia)
At least we'll get some leaflets to fellow workers here, and confuse the fuck
out of management as they try and work out how the infection spread to
Australia!!"
The Global McStrike hits New Zealand!!
"Me and me mate tried to pull a mcstrike at our shitty roadside drive thru North island NZ. It didn't work! Shit! We got everyone to stop work. Cool. Then 'DIck Bogey' (cock head manager) says "What the fuck are you doing?" "We're on strike like thousands of others tit" so he started having a tantrum and screaming we'd all be fired. Me and my mate laughed but some assholes started serving customers then people cooked the food! Shit! We had no choice but to work. Shit! Typical of this dump. World's shortest strike. Maybe it is a record. But let it be known that you have friends here in Aetearoa (that is the Maori name (the real name) for NZ)".
We think it's brilliant this attempt took place.
9:00
Just in... English Closers take action last night... they altered all the settings on food storage Microwave and reset grill timers, stole the keys to the security camera VCR box, changed all the clocks, removed a vital piece of the guns that put sauce on yer burgers, used obscure trip switches to disable equipment and superglued the till locks! How's that for Direct action and sabotage? -
This morning a single crysanthemum flower arrived at McDonald's head office in London- "The crysanthemum was the symbol of the revolution in Hungary that began on October 16th 1918. so we delivered it as a token of our intent to build a world that puts people before profits. But the crysanthemum is also a symbol of death, so we delivered it as a harbinger of the imminent destruction of the McDonalds empire and all wage labour- we neither need it nor want it. There is a new world growing in our hearts and we are taking our first tentative steps towards it". However, workers in the Midlands of England appear to have gone one better. Or rather they've gone 56 better as they are believed to have sent 57 crysanthemum flowers to McDonalds head office in the USA, one flower for every worker at their store!
Glasgow MWR foiled! A band of trouble makers set off on a night trip to another Scottish town after hearing that extra security measures had been taken in Glasgow... After a fair bit Dutch courage and plenty arguing over the route, they arrived at the target... only to find that despite it being 3:00am the useless bastards still hadn't finished the close. So they waited, then decided to drive off looking for another McD's. Normally you can't avoid them, but could they find one? Could they fuck. So in the end they had to settle for returning to the original target (still closing) and graffiti-ing the surrounding area so hopefully the crew will see it as they go to work.
16/10
Preparatory strike! We've just heard that staff and early customers turned up to find a restaurant in Reading, England, with the words "Closed Due To Strike. October 16th. mwr.org.uk" sprayed across it. MWR's newest branch did the artwork- "everyone talks about how much they hate their job, we wanted to turn words into action".
15/10
Events kicked off in France as the CNT-AIT union particpated in the traditional day of solidarity with McDonalds workers over the weekend. The 12th of October has marked this occasion in commemoration of Mark Hopkins- a young worker.killed by electrocution at a McDonalds in Manchester, UK in 1992. "There have been several recent instances in our restaurants where members of staff have received severe shocks from faulty items of electrical equipment." -McDonalds internal memo from Northwest Region, February 1992 (just 8 months before Mark Hopkins was killed by electrocution at a store in Manchester). This is the 7th consecutive year that the CNT-AIT have participated in the action and this year they continued to fight the McStruggle both from within the golden arches and from outside. Solidarity actions took place in both Paris (Sunday) and Toulouse (Saturday).
14/10
RUN UP:
Over the last couple of weeks, there have been campaigns at a few different stores in the London area using stickers, leaflets and sometimes graffiti to advertise a strike on Ocotber 16th. Nobody is expecting a complete strike but ti is important to spread the information that an international resistance movement exists