Even the Holy Land isn’t immune to raucous protests that have nothing to do with the hot political issues that dominate the landscape here. Jerusalem was one of 60 cities around the world where protestors gathered this week to campaign against the fast food chain McDonald’s.
“McDonald’s poisons children” and “Say no to violence; go vegetarian,” read some of the signs of about 20 demonstrators at a Jerusalem McDonald’s. The protestors heckled customers with whistles, horns and loud chants proclaiming, “Meat is murder in cold blood!” and “McDonald’s sells death!”
The demonstration made for some color in downtown Jerusalem as some passersby defiantly ate at the fast food joint to protest the protesters. Yossi Kedem was one.
“[The protesters] are sick people and they shouldn’t bother me while I eat,” Kedem added. His colleagues agreed as they finished off their lunch. Kedem said he doesn’t eat at McDonald’s, but made an exception because of the demonstration.
The demonstration blamed McDonald’s strategy “of bombarding our minds with information through $2 billion a year in advertising,” according to Amnon Kerem, the organizer of the Jerusalem demonstration.
“McDonald’s advertising targeting children makes McDonald’s own them by the time they can make decisions,” said Kerem. “The parents cannot say no because of the influence the children have on them.”