McDonald’s Burger Factory Blocked

Animal Rebellion, a mass movement that uses nonviolent civil disobedience to demand a just, sustainable, plant-based food system, set up camp in Scunthorpe (England).

It is believed that three million beef patties are produced daily at this OSI Food Solutions site, which are delivered to McDonald’s branches throughout England.

The current action at this site is part of a broader campaign that calls out the fast-food chain for its environmentally destructive practices, poor working conditions, and exploitation of animals.

The approximately 50 activists are demanding that McDonald’s transition to a plant-based menu by 2025 in order to protect the future of our planet.

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Harley McDonald-Eckersall, who led the campaign at the site, said: «While we have been here, we have reached out to the public, including former OSI employees who described the horrific working conditions inside the factory. The support and encouragement from local people motivates us to keep up the pressure. We are here to disrupt their supply chain and send a clear message that the company must take seriously its destructive impact on our climate and environment, as well as the deaths of billions of animals, and transition to a plant-based food system.»

Tents and gazebos were erected to establish a camp. Activists have also secured themselves to bamboo structures outside the building and occupied the roof. Local residents have shown up in support, providing food and other essential supplies.

By evening, all protesters who had attached themselves to structures and occupied the roof of the factory were still in position. Until then, the police had only shown interest in removing those on the roof, albeit without success.

The following day from 11:30 a.m., police attempted to remove protesters from one of the vans that formed the blockade. One of the bamboo structures was removed while it was unoccupied. After more than 3 days, the protest was peacefully dissolved on Saturday, July 17, 2021.

The factory was unable to operate on Thursday and Friday, the protesters said.

This protest comes after the group had already blockaded four McDonald’s distribution centers two months earlier, to denounce the meat and dairy industry for its role in the climate and environmental disaster affecting McDonald’s supply chain.

What needs to happen next is quite simple: Animal Rebellion demands that McDonald’s transition to a fully plant-based menu by 2025 and commits to being 20% plant-based within one year.

Currently, the government and the agricultural industry have no plan to transition the British agricultural sector to a net-zero standard by 2050. However, if chains like McDonald’s take responsibility for their share of the global climate crisis, we could begin to move in the right direction. Livestock farming is one of the main causes of deforestation and water pollution. Every German consumes approximately 60 kilograms of meat per year, indirectly consuming around 36 kilograms of soy in the process. And to harvest that quantity of soy and soy meal, soy must be cultivated on 150 m² of arable land. 70 percent of all arable land on Earth is used solely for animal feed and pasture — in other words, for the production of meat.

McDonald's declined to comment.