Activists Target Burger King Policies
At the Battle of Burger King, the numbers were lopsided.
An estimated 75 animal-rights and anti-biotechnology protesters were met by several hundred San Diego police Monday as the protesters attempted to spread their message about alleged maltreatment of chickens by suppliers for the fast-food chain.
In a 90-minute confrontation at a Burger King outlet in downtown San Diego, two protesters who managed to slip by police and into the restaurant were arrested after jumping on a counter and screaming, “Burger King tortures animals.”
The two arrests--recorded by dozens of reporters--were the first linked to a “direct action” sparked by the biotechnology industry convention underway at the city’s convention center.
Eight arrests made during a protest march Sunday were for offenses that were not an outgrowth of expressing a political viewpoint, including carrying concealed weapons, throwing a bottle against a building, and refusing to provide identification.
Although BIO2001 will last through Wednesday, it appears that San Diego will not join Seattle, Quebec and other cities that have seen violent demonstrations in recent years.
To smother any hint of trouble, city officials mobilized the police force at a cost of more than $2.5 million in overtime and other costs. Officers have been placed on 12-hour shifts with all days off canceled.
“So far, things have gone our way,” said Capt. Ron Newman. “At this point, we’re cautiously optimistic. They [the protesters] did not get the numbers they predicted and we’ve been able to control things.”
But a leader in the biojustice protest movement said police are “freaking out” and stifling debate by their overwhelming numbers.
“They’re definitely an intimidating presence,” said Matt Phillips. “We want a debate on bioengineering but the police presence is saying that it’s unacceptable to ask questions in San Diego.”
Mayor Dick Murphy, a former Superior Court judge, visited the police command center after Sunday’s march to convey congratulations for the police response. “He’s very proud of the police and feels that their strong presence has helped avoid a volatile situation,” said a Murphy spokeswoman.
Linda Hills, executive director of the ACLU for San Diego and Imperial counties, said she preferred the San Diego approach over that of the Seattle police during the 1999 demonstrations outside the World Trade Organization meeting.
“In Seattle, police were under-prepared and then overreacted,” Hills said. “Here I think the preparation was good. From what we have heard, the police have shown restraint in dealing with protesters, although it’s also true that they have had no provocation.”
With all but a few hundred of the 500 to 1,000 protesters from Sunday’s march apparently having left San Diego, the Burger King protest became the focus of both media and police attention.
Protesters blasted the bioengineering that has led to super-fat, fast-growing chickens.
“These are Frankenstein animals,” Bruce Friedrich, an organizer of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told the street-corner gathering. “If you eat at Burger King, you’re promoting cruelty to animals.”
In response, Burger King issued a statement saying it is forming an advisory council on “animal well-being” to advise the corporation on issues involving the pork, beef, poultry and egg industries.
Animal rights advocates are angry that Burger King, the world’s No. 2 hamburger chain, has not followed the example of industry-leader McDonald’s, which has developed a strict code for its suppliers requiring, for example, better treatment of egg-producing chickens.
