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International news / Italian protesters beef about hamburgers / Rory Carroll
in Rome
Italian protesters beef about hamburgers
Rory Carroll in Rome
Riot police were mobilised on Monday to protect McDonald's restaurants as
thousands of demonstrators in 20 Italian cities declared war on the
fast-food chain.
In Milan marchers flung raw meat through police lines, splattering
restaurant windows with blood. But most of the protests around the country
were more peaceful, with crowds in Rome, Naples, Palermo and Turin chanting:
"Better a day of tortellini than 100 days of hamburgers."
Organisers of the protests have said they will intensify their campaign,
predicting that Italy will over take France in the strength of its
opposition to the chain.
The government promised to draw up a charter of principles for multinational
companies. The charter, to be agreed with trade unions, was intended to
defuse hostility by acting as a "civic defender", said the industry
minister, Enrico Letta. But, he added, "it would be a mistake to create a
climate of tension. McDonald's is one of the few foreign companies bringing
investment to our country."
A coalition of leftwing radicals, family-run bars and trade unions hopes to
reverse, or at least slow down, McDonald's planned opening of 200 outlets in
the next two years. It says the chain is destroying con sumer choice,
exploiting staff and selling unhealthy food.
McDonald's says that it is employing 15,000 young people and has become
hugely popular with families since opening its first restaurant in Rome 15
years ago.
The countrywide protests were bolstered by controversy over the chain's
treatment of staff. Last week 20 employees in Florence walked out in protest
at an "intimidating" work climate.
The chain, which has 272 restaurants in Italy, suffered another blow when
trade unions mobilised to defend five employees reprimanded for eating
chocolate chips.
The Turin-based Slow Food move ment, which champions traditional cooking and
eating, joined the protests. Its spokesman, Silvio Barbero, told the
Corriere della Sera newspaper: "It forces consumers to taste the same
hamburger in Tokyo, New York, Helsinki and Palermo. A McDonald's hamburger
doesn't evoke regional tastes or sensations, and its gastronomic origin is
impossible to define."
Ghettoised for years with a combined market share of 5%, McDonald's and
Burger King resolved to bring Italy up to the European average of 25%. Food
purists said Italians would never succumb, but they were wrong, with pasta
salads and pizza slices boosting the chains' popularity.
The Guardian Weekly 19-10-2000, page 2
