In a prelude to protests planned for the McDonald's annual shareholders meeting Thursday morning, police arrested 139 protesters on Wednesday afternoon outside McDonald's world headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill.
Oak Brook police said protesters arrested for criminal trespass were from a group of 101 McDonald's workers and 38 clergy and union activists who chose to cross a police barricade.
Workers chanted "Hey McDonald's You Can't Hide, We Can See Your Greedy Side," and "No Big Macs, No Fries, Make our Wage Supersize," as the arrests were made.
The Oak Brook Police Department was assisted by several surrounding-area departments, said Officer George Peterson, a department spokesman.
Some of those arrested were uniform-wearing McDonald's employees who had come for the protest from 33 U.S. cities. Also arrested was Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, according to the union. Police could not immediately confirm that. The union is the financial and logistical backer for Fast Food Forward, the group organizing the protests.
Workers and activists — who demand $15-per-hour pay and the right for fast-food workers to try to unionize without retaliation — say they have focused on McDonald's because of its size and influence. "Workers are taking on the biggest, baddest, richest in the $200 billion fast-food industry," says Kendall Fells, leader of Fast Food Forward. "If we can bring McDonald's to the table, the road ahead will be a lot easier."
The Rev. Dr. William Barber II, head of the NAACP's North Carolina chapter, led the march onto the sprawling McDonald's campus. "We can't treat corporations like people, and people like things," he said. "A living wage is a moral mandate, and it's time for McDonald's to pay fast-food workers their just due now."
Fast Food Forward officials said more than 2,000 gathered for Wednesday's protest. McDonald's officials estimated the crowd at 600, and Oak Brook Police estimated the crowd at 1,000 to 1,500. Department spokeswoman Erica Huff said they arrived in 32 buses.
Wednesday started out as a day of cat-and-mouse among the group, police and McDonald's. The protest was planned for McDonald's U.S. headquarters building, but police closed a key road, and McDonald's had advised workers at that building to work from home.
When protesters arrived to a mostly empty parking lot, they opted to move to the other side of the campus to the company's world headquarters.
McDonald's said it has no plans to make any changes for Thursday's annual meeting. "Folks have a right to protest peacefully and express their views," says spokeswoman Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem. "We're gearing up for our annual business meeting tomorrow and welcoming our shareholders to campus."
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据《今日美国报》网站报道，周三
橡树溪警方称，包括101麦当劳员工、38名神职人员以及工会激进分子在内的示威人群穿过警戒路障，涉嫌非法入侵而被捕。
员工们被捕时高喊：“嘿，麦当劳你不要隐藏，我们能看到你贪婪的一面，”以及“不要巨无霸汉堡！不要炸薯条！给我们加工资！”
警方发言人乔治·皮特森警官称：橡树溪警方是在周围地区几个部门的协助下开展工作。
被逮捕的部分示威者是来自美国33个城市身穿统一制服的麦当劳员工。据服务职工国际联盟称，该联盟主席玛丽·凯·亨利也被捕了。警方无法立即确认。该联盟向组织抗议的快餐前进
无报复之意只是为尝试组建快餐业工会，要求给快餐员工增至时薪15美元的麦当劳员工和激进分子说：由于麦当劳规模以及影响力，所以他们主要针对的是麦当劳。快餐前进
快餐前进
周三开始了示威者、警方以及麦当劳三方之间猫捉老鼠的一天。抗议活动原定计划在麦当劳美国总部大楼举行，但是警方关闭了主干道，而且麦当劳也曾规劝大楼里的员工在家工作。
在示威者抵达空荡荡的停车场时，他们选择从另一个入口进入公司全球总部的大院。
据麦当劳说，周四的年度股东大会不打算更改。发言人Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem说：“人们有权进行和平示威游行以及表达他们的观点。我们正在筹备明天的年度业务会议，而且欢迎我们的股东到公司全球总部的大院来。”
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