Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of McSpotlight.org

16th February 1996 - 2026

McLibel defendants Helen Steel and Dave Morris at the launch of McSpolight.org 16th February 1996

www.mcspotlight.org

Media release from some former McSpotlight activists and contributors - Please forward widely

McDonald's, McLibel, Spycops

and People Power  

 

' The McSpotlight site, which opened last week, provides a comprehensive guide to the McDonald's 'McLibel' trial: the original leaflet, the writ, the witness statements, the arguments. It is claimed to be 'the most comprehensive source of information on a multinational corporation ever assembled' - and that doesn't sound like an exaggeration. '- The Guardian, 22.2.1996

"If Web sites are the asteroids of cyberspace, surely McSpotlight is its Death Star." - InterActive Week, 22.7.1996

30 years ago, a motley collection of young enthusiasts came together determined to use the newly established internet to tell the world the truth about McDonald's and corporations in general - and to stand up for people power. The volunteers were inspired by the UK's 'McLibel' court battle, brought by the McDonald's junk food corporation against London Greenpeace activists, which was becoming the longest and one of the most controversial court cases in English history. McDonald's had been hoping to halt the distribution of 'What's Wrong With McDonald's?' leaflets, and criticisms of its business practices generally. However, in response, a global defiance campaign was ensuring that leaflets which had been given out in thousands before the court case were by 1996 being distributed in millions all over the world. The McSpotlight site took the campaign to another level, ensuring that the public had full and easy access to all the news, information and support they needed to judge for themselves.

The pioneering McSpotlight site - launched to great publicity and acclaim - was one of the first of its kind, its design and content painstakingly created and constructed by hand without the benefit of modern templates. Although the operation wound down in 2005 after the McLibel proceedings finally concluded with a victory for the defendants, the site can still be viewed today as a historic presence, archive and legacy. Many of the links are still functioning. Enjoy!

However, the story doesn't end there, because much has happened over the last 20 years, including another huge and lengthy battle between campaigners (including London Greenpeace) and the establishment. This has resulted in what is becoming the longest and most expensive official Public Inquiry in UK history, with the spotlight this time on the Metropolitan Police and the scandal of 40 years of secret undercover police infiltration of campaign groups, including London Greenpeace (LGP). And guess what? - the police and McDonald's were secretly and unlawfully colluding against London Greenpeace, and accessing confidential legal advice being provided 'pro bono' to the McLibel defendants by barrister Keir Starmer (then a radical lawyer, now UK Prime Minister). This collusion was clearly an abuse of legal process and perversion of the course of justice, and is now being pursued at the Public Inquiry. Many of those who were involved in McSpotlight and the McLibel campaign are currently involved in that Public Inquiry. [See all the relevant references below]

The need to challenge the power of corporations is greater than ever. McSpotlight stands as an inspiration and a testament to what has been achieved, and what still needs to be achieved.

What has been achieved over the last 30 years

• As part of the global McLibel information and defiance campaign we achieved the complete public humiliation of McDonald's (at the time probably the world's most prominent multinational corporation), and the defeat of their efforts to suppress criticism
  
• As part of the efforts by London Greenpeace activists and others we achieved the exposure of the scandalous 40 year long secret spycops operation infiltrating LGP and hundreds of other left wing and campaign groups. It is currently the subject of the UK's longest ever Public Inquiry. In particular London Greenpeace activists tracked down and outed spycops who infiltrated London Greenpeace and the McLibel campaign, including police officers Bob Lambert and John Dines.

What is yet to be achieved

• Abolition of McDonald's
  
• Reclaiming of the internet as a public service, with corporate influence and control removed
  
• An anarchist planet, without corporations and Governments, run by and for its peoples based on freedom, sharing and respect for the environment
  
  

Calls to Action

Please support the following groups, campaigns and movements - Let the resistance continue and flourish!

• Liberate the internet: Electronic Frontier Foundation - https://www.eff.org And: Free Software Foundation Europe - https:/fsfe.org
• Oppose police repression: https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.org.uk
• Organise together for grassroots collective people power in every neighbourhood and workplace
• Spread genuine alternative and anarchist ideas -https://www.anarchistfaq.org/afaq/index.html

Above statement by some former McSpotlight activists and contributors

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Key references/milestones/links 1996-2026:

** 16 Feb 1996: Public Launch of McSpotlight by the 'McLibel 2' in Leicester Square
- Video clip of the launch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V58kK4r26yk&t=2280s [38 - 40mins]                         
- Summary of the launch: https://www.mcspotlight.org/media/launch.html 

** 16 Feb 1997: McSpotlight Ist anniversary Press Release / Overview of the first year
- https://www.mcspotlight.org/media/1st_birthday.html

** June 1997: McLibel trial verdict: 'The £10m McBlunder' 
https://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/mirror_20jun97.html

** 2005: McLibel proceedings final victory in the European Court: 
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V58kK4r26yk&t=4670s   'It has been described as the worst corporate PR disaster in history' .. 'They say the resistance will continue'.  [1hr.17min.50secs - end]

** 2005: McLibel documentary (viewed by 29m people)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V58kK4r26yk   

** July 2013: London Greenpeace police infiltrator Robert Lambert outed
- C4 programme clips of Lambert being challenged in the street, with his admission of helping produce the What's Wrong With McDonald's? factsheet (subject of the McLibel action). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ2SFqny9So

** Undercover Policing Public Inquiry
- Helen Steel and John Dines: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/02/unmasking-the-spy-cops-how-women-found-the-truth-about-men-who-tricked-them-into-relationships
- The McLibel 2 and and Keir Starmer: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/15/undercover-policeman-admits-spying-on-keir-starmer-when-he-was-a-barrister    
- ITV documentary on women (including Helen Steel) targeted by spycops: https://www.itv.com/watch/the-undercover-police-scandal-love-and-lies-exposed/10a5198/10a5198a0001
- Police and McDonald's collusion and perversion of the course of justice: Statement of Dave Morris to the Public Inquiry: https://www.ucpi.org.uk/publications/dave-morris-t2p2-witness-statement/

** McDonald's continuing controversies:
- McDonald's products link to deforestation in the Amazon: Soya feed for chickens, 2020 report: https://www.theguardian.com/guardianweekly/story/0,,1752430,00.html    And in 2019 using beef from deforested amazonian land: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/17/leading-burger-supplier-sourced-from-amazon-farmer-guilty-of-deforestation
- April 2016 there were 300 protests in 40 countries against McJobs' conditions. https://fightfor15.org/video-massive-global-protests-on-414-because-mcjobs-cost-us-all/
- 2018: McDonald's UK workers' strike over zero hours McJobs: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/may/01/mcstrike-mcdonalds-workers-walk-out-over-zero-hours-contracts
- 2023-2025: McDonald's scandal over bullying of UK workers: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jan/07/mcdonalds-workers-legal-action-harassment-claims

** 2025: BBC Radio 4 major documentary series 'The People vs McDonald's'
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002h38n

** February 2026: McSpotlight and McLibel activist testifies to the Public Inquiry about being targeted by spycop: 
- https://campaignopposingpolicesurveillance.com/2026/02/10/ucpi-daily-report-4-feb-2026-grd-evidence/