McLibel and the Golden Arches of Silence: When McDonald’s Sued Its Critics

McLibel and the Golden Arches of Silence Summary and commentary on D.D. Guttenplan’s “McPrisoners of Conscience” (Index on Censorship, 1997) In his 1997 article “McPrisoners of Conscience” published in Index on Censorship, journalist D.D. Guttenplan chronicled the now-infamous McLibel trial which was at the time the longest-running case in British legal history. The case saw McDonald’s Corporation suing two environmental activists, Helen Steel and Dave Morris, for libel over their association with a leaflet critical of the fast-food giant’s record on health, animal welfare, labor rights, and the environment.