By JESSE GRAHAM
Protesters vow to never surrender
THE controversial Tecoma McDonald’s opened its doors to the public yesterday, with protesters vowing to stay at the site until the restaurant is gone.
Scores of protesters and supporters of the restaurant had gathered in front of the store at around 6am for the opening, which came at 11am on Monday 7 April.
The first people through the door were Cheyenne Holtham and Jake Pancutt, who both ordered Quarter Pounder burgers with extra meat and cheese.
Within minutes, the store was thriving with eager patrons, and lines to get into the store stretched along the footpath.
Meanwhile, placards, songs and displays against the restaurant – including one across a horse float – filled the sides of Burwood Highway, with around 50 protesters assembling.
About 20 police officers from around the Yarra Ranges helped to control the crowds, and Detective Inspector Matthew Anderson said police were not biased towards either side of the debate.
“We don’t want to see any accidents occurring,” Insp Anderson said.
“We will maintain a presence, and that’s only because where you see people are positioned, but also just to make sure there are no breaches to the peace.
“We are impartial and we’re here for both sides.”
He said that police officers would maintain a presence at the restaurant for the time being, with protesters vowing to be at the site each and every day.
“We’ll do this tomorrow morning and the next morning, and the next morning, and the next morning, until they go away!” said a megaphone-wielding protester.
Franchisee James Currie officially opened the store, and said the day was the end of a “long road”, though he said he had not felt pressure from the protest group in the years since the proposal was raised.
“There’s really been no pressure,” he said.
“Protesters have the right to an opinion, and I respect that absolutely. They’ve committed to doing it (protesting the store) peacefully and lawfully, and, as long as they continue to do that, then I don’t have an issue with it.”
No McDonald’s in the Dandenong Ranges spokesperson Garry Muratore took aim at Mr Currie’s statements and said there had been “enormous” pressure on the restaurant.
“The fact that we forced them to mediation last April, after 3000 people marched in the street – they admitted then that they were under pressure,” he said.
Mr Muratore said that the campaign against the restaurant, which included a petition with over 100,000 signatures and an international trip to McDonald’s headquarters, had all put pressure on Mr Currie.
He said the No McDonald’s protestors lived locally, and within walking distance of the store, which would make their daily campaign easily run.
The new restaurant features aspects from the local environment, including a large photograph of the Puffing Billy Bridge adorning one wall, and a photograph of local trees on another.
‘Brave’ workers face a grilling
Staff member at the new restaurant, 18-year-old Callan Boyd, said he was excited to work at Tecoma McDonald’s, and had been hailed as “brave” by those he told.
“Everyone said ‘well done, you must be so brave for working there’, but I’m not brave – it’s just a job,” he said.
Mr Boyd, an Upwey resident, said he believed the protest would “die off eventually”.
Tecoma McDonald’s will be open from 6am-11pm from Sunday-Thursday, and open 24 hours on Fridays and Saturdays.
