UK animal rights group blockades four McDonald’s depots

Animal rights protesters have set up blockades at four McDonald’s distribution centres across Britain, which they say will affect about 1,300 restaurants.

Activists from Animal Rebellion used trucks and bamboo structures to blockade distribution sites at Hemel Hempstead, Basingstoke, Coventry and Heywood in Greater Manchester from about 4.30am on Saturday, the group said.

Locked on for workers rights, animal justice & to end the climate emergency. We take action to let global corporations know they have to change.

THIS IS HAPPENING NOW. Since 430am. Support our activists: https://t.co/pVXIUuJuWn#plantbased #ClimateAction #G7UK @McDonaldsUK pic.twitter.com/Rko4YeyXji — Animal Rebellion (@RebelsAnimal) May 22, 2021

The group wants McDonald’s to commit to becoming fully plant-based by 2025. Animal Rebellion said it would remain at the sites for at least 24 hours, causing “significant disruption” to the company’s supply chain.

Kerri Waters, who has been a member of Animal Rebellion since its inception two and half years ago, spoke to the Guardian from Heywood where she and about 20 other activists have been since 4am on Saturday.

“Spirits are high, especially since it has warmed up a little, and we have had people come down to show their support,” she said. “The police presence was very light at the beginning and in fact at one point they just left us. But now there are multiple police officers.”

She said she hoped the action would make people stop and think. “As an ordinary, working-class woman, what I would like to say to others like me is that this isn’t about taking anything away from you but if we continue to consume the way we do, this will seriously impact future generations. Today we have the ability to be able to create meats and dairy products in a plant-based version or a cultured version.”

She added that campaigners accepted they could be arrested. “We understand the urgency of the situation. We’re getting down to the line now: we have to make a massive change otherwise there’s no future left.”

Animal Rebellion activists at Basingstoke. Photograph: Andrea Domeniconi

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

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.”

An Animal Rebellion spokesperson, James Ozden, said the action was aimed at calling out the animal agriculture industry for its part in the global climate crisis.

“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,” he said.

“The only sustainable and realistic way to feed 10 billion people is with a plant-based food system. Organic, free-range and ‘sustainable’ animal-based options simply aren’t good enough.”

The campaign group tweeted that it planned to cause “significant disruption” to McDonald’s by staying at the sites for at least 24 hours, which would affect restaurants restocking over the weekend.

A further tweet called on the burger chain to engage personally with the activists. It read: “We’re waiting for them to come talk to us, or we’ll stop their distribution to all 1,300 restaurants ALL DAY.”

A McDonald’s spokesperson 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.”