Graffitti target McDonald's

A number of activists gathered outside the McDonald's outlet in Valletta on Saturday morning to mark World Anti-McDonald's Day and protest on issues of environment and nutrition, among others.

Handing out information to passers-by, the Graffitti group argued that the global fast food chain was responsible for the destruction of tropical forests to make room for ranching, while producing vast amounts of unnecessary packaging.

On the topic of nutrition there was no argument, they said, that the type of high fat, low fibre diet promoted by McDonald's was linked to serious problems such as cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

They also attacked the chain's advertising tactics to lure young children into getting hooked on the fatty foods by spending over $2 billion dollars each year on advertising, using toys and other promotions.

Graffitti said that in June 1997 a British court had ruled that McDonald's exploit children with their advertising, produced misleading advertising, were culpably responsible for cruelty to animals, were antipathetic to unionisation and paid their workers low wages.

The case started in 1995 when two activists were sued for libelling McDonald's. The case became known as the McLibel trial.

Activists taking part in Saturday's event also expressed their disdain towards other similar multinational food chains for similar reasons.