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Protesters
march around Taco Bell
By
Rosanne Dunkelberger
DEMOCRAT
STAFF WRITER
More
than 100 protesters, chanting "Yo no quiero Taco Bell,"
marched around the restaurant chain's North Monroe Street
location Sunday. Some of them beat the candy out of a pinata
shaped like the talking Chihuahua made famous in commercials.
They
were asking Tallahasseeans to drop their Chalupas until
representatives of the company agree to meet and discuss the
working and living conditions of the farm workers who pick the
tomatoes that top many of the restaurant's fast-food Mexican
specialties.
The
Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) brought 62 people to
protest, most of them immigrant farm workers who pick tomatoes
for the Immokalee-based Six Ls Packing Company. During the
hour-and-a-half-long demonstration, workers passed out flyers
that said they are paid 40 cents for every 32-pound bucket of
tomatoes they pick.
"We
want them to treat us well . . . like working people," said
Gregoria Santa Maria, who said through an interpreter that she
has picked crops for nearly 10 years. "It's because of us
the crops are harvested."
Taco
Bell and the packing companies are making money at the expense of
the farm workers, according to Laura Germino, one of the
protest's organizers. "The workers are saying, 'We're tired
of subsidizing their profit,' she said.
Similar
demonstrations have been held in Gainesville, Sarasota, Tampa and
St. Petersburg and another is planned next weekend in Miami,
organizers said. The coalition chose university cities because
18- to 24-year-olds "are the target market of Taco Bell and
they also question what constitutes responsible corporate
behavior," said organizer Greg Asbed.
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Members
of the local Green Party and representatives of Florida State
University's United Students Against Sweatshops joined the march,
along with other student groups. While the anti-sweatshop group's
main focus is to get FSU to join the Workers Rights Consortium,
farmworker rights "is definitely an issue that should be
addressed," said a group member who identified himself as
Ben.
The
Taco Bell store at 1218 N. Monroe St. was "definitely
open" during the protest, said supervisor Thelma Chestang.
But customers found it nearly impossible to get in during the
first half-hour because demonstrators blocked the drive-through
window as they walked in the driveway.
Police
and sheriff's deputies peacefully herded the group off restaurant
property after being called by store managers, and the protest
continued on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.
Liam
McCaffrey, college aged and a Taco Bell employee, was unimpressed
by the hoopla as he stood aside and watched the crowd of
protestors with friends. "This is a publicity stunt . . .
it's a field day," he said. "Instead of complaining . .
. they need to adapt and overcome."
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