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Today is a notable day in French history : The 20th anniversary of the 'attack' on a McDonald's in rural France. Like so many things that happen here, this story managed to be turned into a caricature of the French as it gained international attention. So what hapened that day?
This New York Times story from the time, just to cite one example, uses the word 'attack' in the headline, and implies in the beginning this was one farmer acting alone. Only after careful reading does it note others were arrested. nytimes.com/2000/09/14/wor…
The central problem was a trade war with Europe. The U.S. was demanding that Europe accept American beef stuffed with hormones. When the EU refused, President Clinton retaliated by placing tariffs on a number of agricultural porducts, including Roquefort cheese.
This was economically devasting to farmers from that region, who had also long been protesting things such as genetically modified foods. The insistence by the U.S. that they be forced to accept hormone-stuffed beef further infuriated them.
A farmer's union in the Roquefort region decided to make a symbolic statement. A McDonand's was under construction in the town of Millau. They decided to dismantle it. On August 12, 1999, several tractors drove into the construction site.
A mix of young and old people began tearing off pieces of the building and then carting them away. One of the leaders that day was a farmer and activist named José Bové. In the retelling, it is oftem implied that he was acting alone that day, on some crazy impulse.
But it was a movement and collective action. Though Bové would indeed gain international fame, and later go into politics with the Green Party. (photo via Midi Libre) midilibre.fr/2019/08/09/vin… 
The McDonald's itself was eventually built, and remains today. And France is McDonald's second fastest growing market outside the U.S., behind China. Part of the reason: McDonald's reacted by committing to buying more local produce, improving the quality. restaurants.mcdonalds.fr/mcdonalds-mill…
As an aside: I will hear this ocassionally from Americans visiting here. That the food at McDonald's tastes better. This is probably why. Fewer chemicals, more local produce.
But stopping the construction was never really the point. It was a statement against globalization and the heavy hand of the U.S. A country willing to crush some farmers in Europe in order to force people here to accept hormone-laden beef.
If you're wondering why there was, and continues to be, resentment of the U.S. around the globe, the McDonald's protest is a pretty good example of how America manages to look like a bully to suit its economic interests.
The only real surprise is that Americans seemed baffled when someone pushes back. (end)
