Saturday, May 22, 2021

UK
Animal rights protesters disrupt McDonald’s distribution centres

The group are demanding McDonald’s commit to becoming fully plant-based by 2025.

Protesters release a yellow smoke canister outside a McDonalds distribution site in Basingstoke, Hampshire / PA

By John Besley
7 hours ago

McDonald’s has apologised to customers for “any disappointment caused” due to blockades by animal rights protesters at four of the fast food chain’s UK distribution centres.

Animal Rebellion, who claim the action will impact roughly 1,300 restaurants, are using trucks and bamboo structures at distribution sites in Hemel Hempstead, Basingstoke, Coventry and Heywood, Greater Manchester, to stop lorries from leaving depots.

The group is demanding McDonald’s commit to becoming fully plant-based by 2025.

Animal Rebellion protester suspended from a bamboo structure outside a McDonalds distribution site in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, which is being blockaded to stop lorries from leaving the depot. / PA

A McDonald’s spokesman said: “Our distribution centres are currently facing disruption.

“We are assessing the impact on deliveries to our restaurants and to menu items.

“We apologise to our customers for any disappointment caused.”


Animal Rebellion said they intend to remain at the sites for at least 24 hours, causing “significant disruption” to the McDonald’s supply chain.

In a video posted on Twitter, a protester in Coventry said the demonstration “feels like the absolutely right thing to do”.




Animal Rebellion

@RebelsAnimal

BREAKING NEWS (pls share!). Around 50 Animal Rebellion activists are *right now* blockading @McDonaldsUK entire UK distribution network to its 1300 UK restaurants for its role in the climate emergency, #Amazon deforestation, and animal suffering. We must switch to #plantbasedfood


10:09 PM · May 21, 2021


She added: “We are in the middle of a climate and ecological emergency and we are still consuming huge quantities of meat on a scale that is just not sustainable for our planet.”

Greater Manchester Police said officers at a demonstration in Heywood are helping to “maintain safety whilst facilitating the right to peaceful protest” and “there is minimum disruption to the local community”
. 
PA

James Ozden, a spokesman for the protest group, said the action is aimed at calling out the animal agriculture industry for its part in the global climate crisis.

He said: “The meat and dairy industry is destroying our planet: causing huge amounts of rainforest deforestation, emitting immense quantities of greenhouse gases and killing billions of animals each year.

“The only sustainable and realistic way to feed ten billion people is with a plant-based food system. Organic, free-range and ‘sustainable’ animal-based options simply aren’t good enough.”


Animal rights group blockades McDonald's 

UK distribution centres


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Animal rights group blockades McDonald's UK distribution centres

Animal Rebellion activists blockade McDonald's distribution centre in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

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Animal rights group blockades McDonald's UK distribution centres

Animal Rebellion activists blockade McDonald's distribution centre in Coventry

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Animal rights group blockades McDonald's UK distribution centres

Animal Rebellion protesters outside a McDonald's distribution site in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire



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Animal rights group blockades McDonald's UK distribution centres

Animal Rebellion protesters outside a McDonald's distribution site in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire

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