THE REST OF THE WORLD



ICELAND

1993 - When they opened their first store, McDonalds refused to negotiate with TUs, but after a strike and boycott threat, the company conceded. Copies of the leaflet "What's wrong with McDonald's" were circulated in Reykjavik in 1994.


CANARY ISLANDS

1993 - McDonalds were fined 13 million pesetas for falsely claiming state subsidies for 'staff training'.


DENMARK

Throughout the 1980's, unions attempted to negotiate with McDonalds the standard 'collective agreement' for food service companies. After protracted legal disputes and boycotts, McDonalds recognised the union in 1989.

On New Year's Day 1995, according to The Guardian (2 January 1995) McDonald's in Copenhagen was broken into and smashed up by hundreds of "left wing anarchists" because it "symbolizes capitalism and money". Furniture was ripped out and burnt on a bonfire. Banks were also attacked.


MEXICO

1985 - A union seized and occupied for 3 weeks the first McDonalds store (which had opened with non-union labour). McDonalds agreed to recognize a different union, and all McDonalds stores are still unionised. In Autumn 1994 in Mexico City 40 people, protesting at California's new anti immigrant referendum caused considerable damage to a McDonald's, seeing the company as a symbol of US imperialism. This was one of many actions which caused damage to McDonald's property.


PUERTO RICO

Up to 1974, McDonalds employees were unionised, but the company was sold to a new franchisee. A dispute followed, closing all the stores and McDonalds pulled out of Puerto Rico. They reopened in 1980 with non-union labour.


BELGIUM

Ghent: "Commando No Pain No Gain" trash building site of new McDonald's in November.

In 1994 two gigs took place to raise money for the McLibel court case in London. In previous years occupations and blockades have taken place.


HUNGARY

1994 - Anti McDonald's articles appear regularly in green publications, forcing correspondence from the chief manager of McDonalds in Hungary. In the town of Pecs a group of young anarchists are protesting against the building of two McDonald's stores.


CROATIA

During 1995 the Zagreb group campaigned to prevent the opening of another McDonald's store and translated campaign materials and leaflets which were handed to the public on numerous occassions.

1994 - A local group is being set up in Zagreb to organize against three McDonald's which are opening in the city. The McLibel Support Campaign was told "You have really big support here because people are against all multinational corporations, and there are more and more vegetarians and vegans every day".


HONG KONG

Protests included fly posting on 16 October '95.


ISRAEL

On 14 October '95 leaflets in Hebrew were handed out by animal rights organization Anonymous and the Anarchist Federation, and twelve people were arrested for chaining themselves to the entrance of McDonald's on the opening day of a McDonald's in Israel. Protests and the trial have been covered by the media.


SWITZERLAND

There was a demonstration in Geneva on McDonald's 40th Birthday.


MALTA

On the 11th World Day of action against McDonald's protest group Graffiti handed out anti-McDonald's leaflets to the public.


BRAZIL

1995 - Anarchists in Rio de Janeiro protested outside McDonald's


GREECE

In September a 7 metre high inflatable Ronald in Thessaloniki was popped by a passer by.