Peace News
for nonviolent revolution
March 1996

McLibel Goes Public On McWeb

Heidi Dawson

McSpotlight is an on-line inter-active computer library which demonstrates that McDonald's is not all is cracked up to be. It was launched on 16 February outside McDonald's in Leicester Square.

If you are not already a "net-surfer", you can view McSpotlight's web-site at the Cybre-cafe, Whitefield Street, London. If you do, you wont be the first - within 24 hours, more than 35,000 people worldwide had had logged on to have a look at McSpotlight.

McSpotlight, with 1300 pages of documents, has been desrcibed by its supporters as the "final nail in the coffin of McDonald's global censorship strategy". It was constructed by volunteers in 14 different countries. At its heart is the material from the McLibel trial, the longest running libel trial in British history and a £3 million attempt by McDonald's to silence its critics. McSpotlight certainly defeats that idea. It explores McDonald's connection with ill-health, the destruction of the environment, and animal welfare. It focuses attention on how the company exploits children through advertising, and workers through low pay. Its highlights include real-audio clips with the McLibel Two, a McQuiz, a clip from Jungleburger, which links McDonald's with destruction of the rainforests, and the complete set of McLibel witness statements, as well as scientific reports used as evidence against the company.

With a different outlook on this multi-national corporation laid bare before them, this is a chance for the public to decide whether they want to continue to patronise such an institution or condemn it.

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