Spotting corporate scumbags

April 11, 2001
Issue 

BY LESLIE RICHMOND

ADELAIDE — Activists livened up a quiet Sunday afternoon here on April 1, marching around the city in a Corporate Scumbags Tour of some of Adelaide's leading businesses.

As curious shoppers looked on, a noisy and vibrant tour group of about 30 departed for the first stop on the itinerary, McDonald's, where speakers condemned the burger chain for "environmental vandalism" and poor employment practices. Organisers encouraged McDonald's staff to speak about their work experiences, but one worker's attempt to do so was quickly quashed by the store manager.

The activists then marched on an outlet of Rebel Sport, which stocks the products of clothing and footwear giant Nike, notorious for its use of sweatshop labour.

The protesters also visited the offices of Nestle, Telstra, uranium company Heathgate Resources and News Corporation.

The last stop on the protest, which was organised by the Adelaide M1 Alliance, was the office of the Australian Stock Exchange, the site of the group's planned May 1 blockade.

In Brisbane, Karen Fredericks reports that M1 activists held a Corporate Scumbags Tour of their own on April 7.

Sixty protesters staged a brief sit-in in the local outlet of the giant US coffee chain Starbucks, condemning the company's industrial relations record and its refusal to pay fair prices to East Timorese coffee workers for their product.

The protest then moved off to the offices and stores of other corporations, including McDonald's, Country Road and Rebel Sports.

Police made no arrests but took footage of the entire demonstration. One plain clothes officer said that footage would be sent to the organisers of the October Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be held in Brisbane.

Queensland police have been handed considerable extra powers to deal with protests expected during CHOGM.

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