Picket Knitters

[bluecat*dancing]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/east/picket-knitters-create-11m-banner-saying-maccas-still-not-we...

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.

[purple_haize]

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@imastawka wrote:

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

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I wasnt referring to you, just posters in general, some dont know where Tecoma is.

[debra9275]

that's one of the main points AM. it will hurt a lot of the small businesses already operating there

[mugssy65]

I've heard lots of talk that it's going to be two story, maybe their just assuming coz it's such a small site?
Guess we'll know soon enough.

[tasfleur]

"Maybe they could start 'yarn bombing' the fencing?"

[lloydslights]

I'm nearly sure, that the community of Katoomba (Three Sisters fame) has fought for years and has succeeded in not having a Maccas.

DEB

[i-need-a-martini]

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@*mrgrizz* wrote:

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.

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Which is exactly what happened in Newtown in Sydney - months of protests, they built it anyway. I think it lasted about 6 years before it finally closed its doors in the late 90's. 

If I remember correctly it wa the first MacDonalds ever to close so it was a big deal.

[punch*drunk]

Drove past about an hour ago and the place is a ghost town apart from the maccas security guards, apparently they are costing something like $50,000 a week. It'll be a few years before they start turning a profit after forking out that money for months or however long it takes.

The shame is, although it will almost certainly fail, the town will be left with an ugly, enormous building blocking out the lovely view of the forest behind. It already looks hideous even though its just a frame.

i just hope that too many more businesses dont fold, I cant see them competing with maccas though. It will take business from all the local shops as it will encourage people to drive through and just continue on. If people dont need to get out of their cars, they will never see what the place has to offer.

[freakiness]

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@punch*drunk wrote:

Drove past about an hour ago and the place is a ghost town apart from the maccas security guards, apparently they are costing something like $50,000 a week. It'll be a few years before they start turning a profit after forking out that money for months or however long it takes.

The shame is, although it will almost certainly fail, the town will be left with an ugly, enormous building blocking out the lovely view of the forest behind. It already looks hideous even though its just a frame.

i just hope that too many more businesses dont fold, I cant see them competing with maccas though. It will take business from all the local shops as it will encourage people to drive through and just continue on. If people dont need to get out of their cars, they will never see what the place has to offer.

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Yes, and Maccas will give out lots of free vouchers to get local people into the store.

[jimmy*part4]

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@am*3 wrote:

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

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Sure there is.....a BIG one!

*I'm not eating there till they stop building that one!*

[punch*drunk]

Yes, and Maccas will give out lots of free vouchers to get local people into the store.

I cant see that working...maybe on some of the teenagers, but thats about it. There is a small group of maccas cheerleaders too, but not enough for maccas to get rich off. Its all about passing tourist traffic, and it will take business away from all of the food businesses in the hills, not just Tecoma.