topic Re: Picket Knitters in Community Spirit

Picket Knitters

bluecat*dancing — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:20:23 GMT

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/picket-knitters-create-11m-banner-saying-maccas-still-not-welcome-in-tecoma/story-fngnvlxu-1226823637100

THREE months of knitting squares in protest against Tecoma McDonald’s has produced an 11m long banner – which could end up in a museum.

More than 20 Picket Knitters have kept a vigil at the construction site, knitting a whopping 138 squares made up of 150,000 stitches.

The squares have been made into a banner which reads: “Maccas still not welcome in Tecoma”.

No Macca’s in the Dandenong Ranges spokesman Garry Muratore said it could potentially be displayed at the Museum of Public Democracy in Ballarat, before being unpicked and turned into blankets for the homeless.

The group of predominantly knitting nanas has been keeping vigil at the site for the past six months.

But three months ago they decided to knit same-sized squares and combine their efforts to produce something to symbolise their protest.

On January 30, the Picket Knitters stood in front of the construction site to display the banner.

Although the project is completed, they haven’t downed needles, and are back at their post furiously clicking for the cause – still producing squares.

Mr Muratore said the protesters would be attending a public meeting on March 2, at the Tecoma Primary School, to discuss the “next stage of strategy”.

Meanwhile the skeleton of the McDonald’s outlet has already been constructed.

Re: Picket Knitters

icyfroth — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:26:38 GMT

I love that. A display of dedication and unity of ppl with a common cause.

Rats to MacDonalds.

Although I must admit I've been disloyal and had macca's at least twice since this topic was last discussed.

Re: Picket Knitters

purple_haize — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:33:51 GMT

The protesters are there every day, without fail.

Driving past yesterday one protester was chalking something on the front board, security guard came up and took a photo of her.............how pathetic are McDoalds in wanting photos.

Anyway, construction is months behind, hopefully it will never get built................it is going to look really out of place in Tecoma.

Re: Picket Knitters

debra9275 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:37:07 GMT

I didn't realize the protests were still going. Good on the residents for standing up to them

Re: Picket Knitters

freakiness — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:37:45 GMT

@purple_haize wrote:
The protesters are there every day, without fail.

Driving past yesterday one protester was chalking something on the front board, security guard came up and took a photo of her.............how pathetic are McDoalds in wanting photos.

Anyway, construction is months behind, hopefully it will never get built................it is going to look really out of place in Tecoma.

Good on them for standing up for what they believe in for their area. Lets hope the govt. doesn't get away with outlawing protests against businesses.

Re: Picket Knitters

purple_haize — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:46:17 GMT

Deb, they are there every day, even in the heat and when it is raining...............hills folks dont give up!

Re: Picket Knitters

debra9275 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:47:51 GMT

Good on therm PH ... I am 100% behind them too

Re: Picket Knitters

*mrgrizz* — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:50:53 GMT

well if they are so sure their town doesn't want a maccas, they should stop protesting.

once it is open, and if no one in the town wants it, that means no one will go there and it will soon close.

Re: Picket Knitters

j*oono — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 00:55:10 GMT

Good for them! There is a new MacDonalds being built quite close to me but I haven't eaten MacDonalds food for at least a decade.

Re: Picket Knitters

bluecat*dancing — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:01:22 GMT

Grizz, 9 out 10 locals said "no", the local Council said "no" but VCAT said "yes". The protest will continue until McDonald's are gone from Tecoma. The beautiful Dandenong Ranges is no place for a 24hr, drive through, fast food restaurant. It has been a while since I have been on the picket line but once a few health issues have been attended to I will be there, standing alongside the hills folk.

Re: Picket Knitters

debra9275 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:02:21 GMT

Joono, even the local council rejected it there so it was taken to VCAT who pass everything residents don't want basically.

they are a panel of judges or ex judges who don't live in the areas concerned and pretty much pass every development based purely on legality. with no care or thought to residents or anything else

Re: Picket Knitters

cherry*135 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:33:18 GMT

Good on them (the protesters). I think there are a lot of tourist/daytrippers in that area Mr Grizz.. they may buy food from McDonald's even if the locals don't.

p.s. There is no Mac in McDonald's.

Re: Picket Knitters

mugssy65 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:43:03 GMT

J*oono I haven't been that way for a while is it really two story?

Re: Picket Knitters

j*oono — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:45:49 GMT

@am*3 wrote:
Good on them (the protesters). I think there are a lot of tourist/daytrippers in that area Mr Grizz.. they may buy food from McDonald's even if the locals don't.

p.s. There is no Mac in McDonald's.

Thanks Am. Shows how much I know about McDonalds.

Re: Picket Knitters

j*oono — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:47:02 GMT

I don't know Mugssy!! It doesn't look two storey yet if it is going to be.

Re: Picket Knitters

*crikey*mate* — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:48:59 GMT

look on the bright side, it will provide local employment for youth.

Re: Picket Knitters

cherry*135 — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 01:59:27 GMT

Then there is the not so bright side... any locally owned and operated food businesses that are there already will lose custom, mightn't earn enough to stay open, litter from McDonalds (although their staff do collect dropped litter from their restaraunts, I don't think they go outside their carpark to do that), possible child obesity problems for local children/adults, visually unattractive building....

Re: Picket Knitters

imastawka — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 02:24:25 GMT

Maybe they could start 'yarn bombing' the fencing?

I adore yarn bombing. There's lots in Melbourne

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=yarn+bombing&rls=com.microsoft:en-AU:IE-Address&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=g9r6UrX6JZDXkgXu-IDYAw&sqi=2&ved=0CDEQsAQ&biw=947&bih=445

Re: Picket Knitters

purple_haize — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 02:35:58 GMT

Tecoma is a little town in the Dandenong, little of shops a couple of take away shops that have been there forever, and a petrol station that closes at 9pm.

Infact all the shops are shut by 9pm.

You can drive throught Tecoma any time after 9pm and there are no people around, just a few cars on the highway............so McDonads when and if they open are going to be 24/7 drive through..................

Who is going to go there, not the people of Tecoma or any of the people that live in the Dandenongs. The people said no, the council said no.

VCAT said yes, they have not taken what the people want or the council want, The Dandenongs is no place for McDonalds, especially when there is one 10 minutes away.

To those of us that live in The Dandenongs and Melbourne, we should have a say in what happens, The Dandenongs is not the place for McDonalds.

Re: Picket Knitters

imastawka — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 02:41:15 GMT

You misunderstand me, p h

I understand all of the above. I know the Dandenongs quite well.

I have a cousin who lives on the Mount.

I am not advocating a Maccas in your area, if you don't want it

I merely thought that the knitting could be used in that fashion, that's all

But that's me - I love yarn bombing