15 photos to tell the story.
This lady knew I was filming, you can see it in her eyes. I was on the other side of the road and I was making them nervous. I took these shots the day after the leaders of this group were served with writs for damages.
The security guards were pretty relaxed. There were a couple of arrests the day before and this took a bit of pressure off them as bail conditions included not being allowed within 100 metres of the site.
Waving to the traffic. About a third toot in support about a third yell at them and about a third just don’t care either way.
This bloke was on his way to cricket practice [in Winter?] and stopped for a chat.
This lady was obviously concerned about drowning.
These two hid behind those signs the whole time I was there! Every time I pointed the camera in their direction they would dive back behind their signs. They got the better of me, I never did see their faces.
A member of ZZ Top made an appearance, which was nice.
This bloke hovered around behind me for quite a while pretending to take photos. Eventually he worked up the courage to ask me what I was up to.
Here he is on his way back to join his mates after giving me the third degree…… I stood up well under interrogation.
For a while I had two blokes standing behind me but eventually this one got bored and wandered off. I guess the $5.50 Roast Beef and Gravy Roll was too much of a temptation… served fresh daily at your local BP service station…… and these good folks don’t want a McDonalds?
The people who were on the roof got arrested yesterday. I like the defiant ‘we’re not leaving’…. yes you are but at least you know where an apostrophe goes.
araneus1 
Looking around at my fellow Alabamians, I wish someone had protested the first McDonald’s here. At least we are no longer the most obese state.
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fair enough. I guess.
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Do you have an opinion on the matter?
I’m not sure of the whole story actually. McDonalds are everywhere – what is the protest about.
I might add I dislike all junk food (except good Indian take-away or Sushi/Sashimi).
I also dislike processed food (in general).
So why am I so overweight, I ask. Metabolic Syndrome says GP.
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Thanks for the comment and the question.
I have written two articles for our local newspaper. One was a report on a march protest from a few months ago and the other is a LONG article on the history of the owner and his attempts to develop this site.
Neither of my article got published!
The long article I wrote off my own bat but the protest march piece was commissioned by my editor so I was a little bit pissed that she did not publish it!
Our little community newspaper has a lot of involvement from the group that started the protests (they have since been swept aside by this new group from outside our area) so I guess my editor did not want to have to field a bunch of phone calls from angry contributors.
I’m giving everyone fair warning that I’m going to post both of these articles here so if you have a problem with boredom….STEAR CLEAR.
If you are crazy enough to read them keep a good supply of strong coffee on hand!
I could have lived out the rest of my life quite happily without a Maccas in my town but I have to say that they did it by the book, they did everything that was asked of them and they have a right to run their business. They will be creating a LOT of jobs and that is a very important point. They also support juniour sport and a thing called Ronald McDonald House, which is cheap accommodation for parents who have to come to the city because their children are in the Royal Children’s Hospital, which is very cool. A young couple who we know were recently in Melbourne because their little boy needed emergency heart surgery, and they stayed at RMH.
I love my QUIET little town and it has been taken over by a group from the ‘Occupy Melbourne’ group. Most of the demonstrators don’t live here but it is a good excuse to protest over something.
I have a problem with their hypocrisy.
There is a BP service station across the road which was redeveloped a few years ago and no one said anything.
There is a Subway store not far away and no one said anything at the time it was set up.
The protest group has spent a small fortune on this campaign and that money could have been spent on a homeless shelter, which is something that all towns and cities need these days.
I’m all for sticking it to the man but I really dislike people who like to take shots at easy targets.
While out walking my dogs I heard a lady talking to a small boy. He asked her why there were so many people standing around with signs. She went into this long rant about global corporations and how evil they are. I asked her where she did her shopping and she said Safeway, and she really didn’t get it.
The little kid just wanted to know what was going on.
I’ve had to interview a lot of these people and it is amazing how Ilinformed they are.
Anyway, it is going to be interesting in my little town for a while to come yet.
Terry
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Fast Food Nation is an interesting read. All about the marketeering behind fast food chains and the knock on effect on farming practices in the US. And I still love their burgers, dammit. Gotta admire people who feel strongly enough about something to get out there and protest, though.
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Thanks for your comments.
I agree about the ‘feel strongly’ bit, I just wish they would put all that effort into something worthwhile……………. I’m more than happy to write them out a list of things that need changing!
Terry
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Ahhhh, Terry. You crack me up.
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Thank you for the comment…………. I am to please.
Terry
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Of all the things they could protest . . . cheap food and entry-level jobs should rank low in anyone’s radar.
. . . and I would have been more impressed had there been even one clever sign.
“Save your arches, block the golden ones”
“Tell McD to mooo-ve along”
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I’ll pass on your details…………. they need a decent copywriter.
On a lighter note. The construction guys put up large black sheets of plywood around the site…. just the sort of thing that you can chalk very easily…… I spent an hour one afternoon correcting all the spelling [it’s a big fence].
Terry
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ZZ Top and Roast Beef Gravy Rolls…hilarious :)))
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Thank you for noticing.
Terry
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