Anti-Maccas fight goes global

AFTER so much support from the greater community, the No McDonalds in the Dandenong Ranges group took its message to Melbourne, inviting their city dwelling supporters to send a message to the multinational fast food giant.
The whole of Melbourne is invited to stand with the campaign and show McDonalds that their fight was not just a Tecoma issue.
The group says the majesty and beauty of the Dandenong Ranges belonged to everyone and together they can be protected from inappropriate development.
The event also launched the on the ground Chicago campaign which was the culmination of a “crowd funding” action to raise funds to enable a community delegation to deliver a 100,000 person Change.org petition to McDonald’s CEO Don Thompson in Chicago.
Utilising the crowd funding platform Indiegogo, a target of $US2500 was established and
17 days to raise it.
The response was enormous with the initial target met in only 55 minutes.
The fund raising campaign went on to raise a total of $US36,000 ($A40,000) which has enabled the group to not only send a delegation, but to also take out a full page advertisement in the Chicago Tribune.
A spokesperson for the Tecoma campaign Jo-anne McMahon said: “Our strong and long running campaign, the fiercest McDonalds has ever faced in Australia, is gaining support every day, locally, nationally and internationally from people who believe in our cause and with their help we are now taking our message all the way to the heartland of McDonalds – Oak Brook, Chicago, Illinois.”