Protestors gathered on the street in front of McDonald's headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois today while shareholders met inside. The protest was part of a national campaign by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) to compel McDonald's to acknowledge its ability and responsibility to improve the lives of farmworkers in its supply chain. The CIW's "Fair Food" campaign is a continuation of a four-year long Taco Bell boycott which ended in March of 2005 when Taco Bell finally committed to work toward improving the working conditions and wages of farmworkers in Immokalee, Florida. Protestors demanded that McDonald's follow the precendent set by Taco Bell and support "real rights" for farmworkers, which include safe working conditions, fair wages and freedom from harassment and discrimination. So far, McDonald's has launched a public relations campaign to counteract the work of the CIW but has not addressed the human rights abuses that still occur in the fields of Florida.

Photos from the protest:

Media Mouse was also at a protest at the "rock and roll" McDonald's earlier this year.